#sigh i wish i were delilah...

[spring-vibes-only]

Happy pride month to these guys (they are t4t)🫶🫶

[wileys-russo]

pls can i request a ficlet/blurb: your supporting less in australia for the world cup on her days off you meet her at her hotel and walk for hours around the cities you’re in, both adamant on bringing zel with you since her family is not there and being her “siblings she never had” anyway your brother his wife and your niece fly over to support lessi aswell, both of your families obviously being close but since you only speak to your brother, only he is around. watching less score the winner in the semi finals was a dream for all of you, listening to your niece ramble incoherent words about how ‘auntie lessless’ is her idol. when she comes up after the game to see you all and greeting your brother, her family gives her a minute to soak it all up in your arms, with you whispering sweet nothing in your ear then finally your niece comes rushing up to her and gives lessi a hug just cute moments with the fam 🥲

favorite aunty II a.russo

"are we there now?" your niece asked for the one hundreth time as you withheld a groan and alessia hid her smile behind her hand, chin resting on her fist.

"not yet lilah, i promise i will tell you when we are. look you're missing out on the view!" you turned her head to continue to look out the window.

"look lilah theres a pretty bird!" katie clapped for your nieces attention, pointing out the window as the five year old ooh'd and you caught zel's eye as she glanced over the seat mouthing a thank you.

"we're here!" you winced a few minutes as the girl screamed seeing the sign for the zoo and wriggled around eagerly in her seat. "inside voice lilah." you sighed with a smile, ruffling her hair as she leaned into your side.

"if you weren't already the favourite aunty i think this will secure it for you quite nicely." your girlfriend leaned forward and whispered in your ear, kissing your cheek.

"by blood i'm her only aunty, there isn't much competition." you rolled your eyes playfully and helped your niece out of her seat belt, hoisting her up onto your hip as you patiently awaited the rest of the girls and their families to file out.

"can i go with zelly?" delilah asked hopefully pointing to your girlfriends teammate who beamed making your face soften. "you can. but hold her hand the entire time and no running off yeah lilah?" you warned sternly, the blonde nodding eagerly as you passed her over the seat and she filed off the bus chattering away to the older woman.

"looks like that competition for favourite auntys heating up eh? i'd like to throw my hat in the ring!" ella grined as her and alessia followed you off the bus. "you wish tooney she can barely understand you!" you teased, ducking away as the brunette reached out to hit you.

"hands to yourself if you want to keep them tooney." alessia warned, the taller girl throwing her arm over your shoulder as you pulled a face at her best friend who drew her finger over her throat playfully.

given the semi finals were coming up quickly and the girls hadn't had much down time the last week the staff had organised for the team and some of their families and partners to spend the day at the zoo.

having been with your girlfriend just over two and a half years now you'd leapt at the opportunity to come support her in australia, having been right by her side as she received sarina's phone call confirming her selection for the world cup squad.

you knew what it meant to her and with all the stress placed on her shoulders from her transfer you were relieved that at least there was one less thing for her to worry over now.

never having been close with your own family bar your older brother you were welcomed into alessia's with open arms from the get go. her parents already thought of you as another daughter and her brothers teased you as if they'd known you their entire life, it was a comfort not known to you in your youth.

given how things were growing up for you to be welcomed in so lovingly and so sincerely from people who at the time hardly knew you meant the world.

then once things became even more serious with you and alessia she'd organised for your brother, his wife and his daughter delilah to join all of you for a meal, her family of course falling in love with the little blonde bundle of energy that was your niece.

so when it became public knowledge that alessia had been selected your brother booked some time off and flew over with delilah to support your girlfriend which made the strikers heart absolutely melt.

"aunty lessless!" the blonde turned away from her conversation with ella, bending down and opening her arms with a grin as your niece crash tackled into her. "names so nice she insists on saying it twice." you teased playfully at your nieces choice of nickname for your girlfriend.

"hey lilah who do you love more? aunty n/n or aunty lessless?" ella smirked as the four of you wandered around the zoo, the rest of the girls all scattered and looking at things at their own pace, mary and katie trailing not far behind the four of you deep in their own conversation.

you watched through narrowed eyes as your girlfriend whispered something in your nieces ear causing her to grin. "aunty lessless!" delilah announced happily as alessia smirked smugly and your jaw dropped.

"delilah!" you huffed, pouting and crossing your arms over your chest as your girlfriend tickled the five year olds sides and ran off with her towards the elephants. "looks like we know the winner of the favourite aunty competition is, tough luck kid." ella patted your back with a mocking pout as you shoved her away.

"she will have promised her something for that answer, you know you're her favourite." katie pulled you into a hug seeing the frown etched into your features as ella stepped on the back of marys trainer, the keeper charging off after her.

"i'm sorry your family couldn't come zel." you smiled sympathetically as the two of you wandered over to where alessia was stood with your niece. "its alright, i know they would if they could." the older girl brushed it off but you knew it saddened her as you squeezed her tightly.

"you know i love you like a sister, if that helps." you smiled sincerely, quite close with the majority of your girlfriends united team mates. "yeah and ya annoy me like one too." katie sighed before grinning as you rolled your eyes.

"aunty n/n!" you looked over to where your niece sat happily in alessia's arms, wildly gesturing you over with her arms. "that one looks like you." the five year old grinned pointing to one of the elephants as you gasped in mock offence.

"right, no more hugs for that. bye lilah!" you crossed your arms and pretended to storm off, your niece yelling out after you and wiggling as alessia placed her down on her feet.

"hug me!" delilah demanded running toward you as you dodged her, repeatedly moving away from her much to the little blondes growing annoyance.

"quick lilah get her!" you stumbled a little as your girlfriends strong arms wrapped around you, holding you in place as your niece slammed into your leg, hugging you tightly. "caught you!" delilah grinned happily, smacking your leg and sprinting off toward katie and mary.

"lilah be careful!" you called out with a frown as she stuck a thumbs up your way and was scooped up by katie. "smile would you grumpy." your girlfriend pressed a sloppy kiss to your cheek as you winced and elbowed her off.

"no get off! you turned her against me." you glared at the taller girl accusingly who laughed at your annoyance, once again wrapping herself tightly round you.

"better get used to it baby, as the favourite aunty now i'll make sure we keep teaming up against you." alessia teased with a smile as you tried to wrench yourself away from her.

you settled instantly the moment her lips pressed against yours, the taller girl stealing a kiss and tugging you a little more out of sight, pressing you against a large fake rock.

"already teaching her about bribery are we?" you raised an eyebrow knowingly as the striker pulled away, your arms now looped round her shoulders as you played fondly with the baby hairs on the nape of her neck.

"no idea what you mean love." alessia grinned innocently making you roll your eyes, the few of you exchanging a few sweet kisses, soaking up the brief moment of peace together.

"so what did you say you'd give her to secure the favourite aunty position then?" "that i'd score a goal for her next game." "oh thats so unfair baby, i can't compete with that!"

~

and boy oh boy did the striker follow through on her promise.

the stadium errupted as alessia netted the winner, your heart swelling so much with pride you thought it might burst as you screamed loudly.

pulled into a tight hug by her brother gio you watched the blonde lift her arms up and run toward the away end, her eyes finding yours as she pointed right up at you before she was tackled to the ground by her team mates.

"aunty lessless did it!" you scooped up your niece as she clambered over luca's lap to get to you, sending the boy an apologetic smile as he winked and turned back to his conversation with your brother.

"she did! she promised you she would right? she scored that for you lilah." you smiled softly, gio leaning over to tickle the five year old who squealed and smacked at his large hands. "lilah!" you laughed as the girl climbed practically on top of you, reaching out for alessia's mum carol whose face lit up from where she sat in the row behind yours.

"go on then, little wriggle monster." you chuckled, lifting her over into carols arms as she tightly hugged the older woman, babbling away about her aunty lessless and recounting her she had promised delilah a goal yesterday at the zoo.

when the final whistle blew your face ached from how wide a grin was plastered on your face, screaming and cheering till your throat was red raw, jumping around and hugging everyone.

alessia's body was exhausted after playing what was a gruelling match, and she groaned quietly as she started the climb up toward where everyones families were waiting, the rest of the stadium having cleared out as the team had celebrated and changed together.

though any shred of fatigue was washed away the moment her eyes landed on you, lips curling into a smile as you threw your head back and laughed at something your brother said, alessias heart melting at how her dad wrapped you in a tight hug just as he would hug her growing up.

"here she is then, the winning goal scorer!" gio spotted her first, yelling out loudly with a whistle causing everyones families to explode into a round of applause, alessia's cheeks blushing as her team mates jostled her around.

everything finally dying down and everyones attention focused in on their own families once again alessia reached hers, your brother pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her head.

you were next, stood the row of chairs above where she stood you were for once the taller of the two of you, alessia normally having a good foot or two on you.

you couldn't keep the grin off your face as your girlfriends head settled on your chest, long arms winding around your torso as your own looped around her neck. "your hairs all wet." you giggled into her shoulder as she teasingly rubbed her damp head against you.

"i am so incredibly proud of you lessi baby, i don't even have the words to express it." you whispered to her softly, rubbing her back as she squeezed you tightly, hiding her flushed cheeks in your shoulder.

her mum watched on with a fond smile, wrestling to keep the five year old tucked away in her arms at bay, wanting to give the two of you a moment to yourselves before she let delilah loose.

you murmered sweet nothings into alessia's hair as your hand continued to rub soothingly at her back, the striker peppering a few soft kisses against your neck and jaw before her lips found your own for a fleeting second. "my stargirl." you'd whispered adoringly as her hand reached up to rest on your cheek, both of your eyes locked lovingly for a moment, alessia gently forcing herself to pull away from you.

though no sooner had her arms unwrapped from your waist had two new little ones clung onto her leg, delilah chattering away a million miles an hour as alessia squatted down to her height allowing your niece to throw her arms around her neck in a tight hug.

"aunty lessless you did it! was that for me? like you said at the zoo?" delilah asked excitedly as alessia stood, picking up the five year old with her and resting her on her hip. "of course it was, just for you!" alessia poked at the girls nose causing her to scrunch it up adorably.

"kiss again!" your niece suddenly demanded, her small fist reaching out toward you and tugging on your top making your girlfriend laugh. "you heard her babe." alessia grinned, craning her head over as you pecked her lips and delilah giggled.

"again!" the five year old clapped as you rolled your eyes but pecked alessia's lips again much to your nieces delight, the demands nothing new.

neither you or your girlfriend could figure out why but there wasn't anything that seemed to amuse delilah more than making the two of you kiss, an amusingly common occurrence when you'd babysit, not that alessia would ever complain.

you were quick to take your niece from the footballer much to the five year olds protests, allowing your girlfriend to spend some quality time with the rest of her family as you distracted delilah, carting her around to chatter to several of the other lionesses and their families.

it seemed the excitement had worn her down and as everyone started to depart the stadium delilah was slumped in your arms dead asleep, chin resting on your shoulder as her soft snores sounded in your ear.

"must run in the family." alessia teased, appearing beside you as you smacked at her with your free hand, the blonde sneaking a kiss and fondly moving a few loose strands of hair out of delilahs face.

intertwining your free hands the two of you walked toward the busses in a comfortable silence, and unbeknownst to you the thoughts flying through alessia's head were this scenario in the future.

only this time, with your own child.

[msbigredmachine]

New To This - Chapter 12

MASTERLIST

“Yo Parrish, guess what just came in for you!”

Turning towards the office, Delilah allowed the excitement to bubble up inside her knowing exactly what had arrived at her mentor’s doorstep. Accepting the letter from him, she smiled as she opened it up and the details of her new developmental deal stared right back at her. At last, confirmation that in just three months’ time, her life as a struggling Jill-of-all-trades trapped in lowly, boring Pensacola was going to be a thing of the past.

She wanted to share this news with her father. She wished he was here. She would share her joy with her mother, her sister, and the man she loved. She’d already shared with the “other” man in her life, the one that had pushed her this far to begin with. It felt good to tell him, even though every thought of him was plagued with this weird, aching mix of guilt and desire all the time these days.

Ever since she returned from her tryout two weeks ago, Tank noticed there was something off about his star pupil. She was still sharp and solid in the ring and the light in her eyes still seemed to shine for this business. But there was something else weighing her down and he couldn’t figure out what it was. Running his hand over the top of his shorn head, he reached out and snapped his fingers in front of her face, rolling his eyes when she masked her true feelings by playfully blowing a noisy raspberry. "Earth to Miss Parrish. Talk to me. What’s goin’ through your mind right now?" he asked.

With a sigh, Delilah took a seat in the chair across from his desk and crossed her legs in the roomy seat. Letting her eyes skim down the second page of the contract where the finances were detailed, she assessed, "It's a dream come true, Tank. The money's a lot better than I could have hoped, especially for developmental."

Tank nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I woulda killed for this kinda money when I first started out," he agreed, looking over the numbers in the contract. "Fifty-five thousand a year for a rookie, even before tax, ain’t no joke. And with multiple appearances a month on NXT? Not a bad gig, girl. Not bad at all."

"Well it better be, it was hard enough to entice Andre as it is," Delilah said, "The money’s good and all, but I care more about wrestling than anything else. And let’s be realistic. I could spend months, maybe years in the Performance Center before I’m ever let on NXT. It happened to the Rock’s daughter. Other star candidates, too. I’ll just focus on working my ass off until they deem me ready to go."

Tank scoffed at her attempts to downplay her worth. “I might be biased when I say this shit, but them girls can’t lace your boots,” he assured her. “And what’s this talk about enticing Andre? Is he still digging his feet in?” Though she had told him about nearly every fight she'd had with her fiancé since she first stepped through the doors of his gym, Tank had always done his best to keep his professional distance from her relationship. Delilah Parrish was the closest thing he had to a star, and all he was truly concerned about was making sure that she stayed focused and happy.

Blowing out a long breath, she crossed her arms over her legs and drew one knee up to her chest. "In his defense, I am asking him to change his entire life for me," she acknowledged, knowing that it was the only real argument she had. To be honest, she was yet to get a real answer out of Andre since they had started fighting over her dreams, and only left it alone because the fighting had subsided and he seemed to be legitimately putting in more effort for her. He worked out with her when his schedule allowed and accompanied her to a few of her matches. In exchange, she was putting in more effort with their wedding plans, hoping to maybe finally do the deed before the move. Right now, things between the couple were as stable as she could hope for.

Tank, like everyone else she had talked about the situation with, just shook his head. "You a team, right? Ain’t that what gettin��� married is?" When she rolled her eyes, he chuckled. "Yeah, that's why I never did it and never will. Honestly, though, Dee, I think you need to talk to him about it. Ask him, point blank, exactly what his issues are. See if you guys can work through them between now and when you move."

Maybe they could. But did she really want to start bringing up old dirt again now that there was some semblance of harmony between her and Andre? If anything, these days, the burden of their tension was shifted to her. Because two weeks had passed and she still had no answers. The realization was more powerful than ever. Her relationship with Andre had been forever changed by what she did with Josh and it was only a matter of time before Andre found out. And if, when, that happened, there would be no more fixing anything.

Especially not with her currently bookmarking the coordinates to a location just sent by said lover of hers, who was back in town and asking her to come over.

Delilah looked up from her phone, swallowing down the emotion climbing up her throat. "And if we can't work through them? What happens then?" she asked Tank.

Her voice was so fragile, like a little child, that he fought the urge to hug her and tell her it would all be okay. "You'll figure it out. Just know that I’ll be there for whatever you need regardless," was all he offered, fully aware that she was an adult and ultimately, her personal decisions were hers.

Delilah nodded, grateful for his mentorship yet eager to change the subject before she said something she regretted. "Thanks. So, now that I'm using a submission move as my finisher, I think I need more work on my core strength…" 

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“Oh my god, stop,” Delilah panted, her voice stuck somewhere between a giggle and a gasp as he dramatically peppered her face and neck with pecks and kisses, his big hands all over her naked body.

“Mmm, you make the prettiest sounds when you come for me, mama,” Josh murmured, caressing her breast, their little play fight quickly becoming more serious as he switched to slower, much more passionate kisses that had her moaning into his mouth, “So damn pretty, make me wanna go another round...”

Delilah cupped his face in her small hands, her thumbs smoothing over his beard as she forced him to focus on her words, “Babe, chill…I need to recover a bit. You’re a…lot…to take in.”

Josh grinned proudly. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, rewarding her with one more long, charged kiss before tapping her ass and pulling out of her with a quiet groan. Delilah rolled onto her back and stretched out on the plushness of the sofa, watching him slide his briefs back on. The sunlight streaming from the window illuminated his tatted back muscles and toned legs, the scrumptiousness of them making her squeeze her thighs together from lust and seriously tempting her to drag him back onto the sofa and take up his offer for round two.

Slipping into his t-shirt, she followed him out of the conversation pit and to the kitchen island where he was pouring two glasses of Merlot. "This is a really nice place, Josh," she complimented, finally getting to look around since they had barely made it past the front door before they were all over each other like dogs in heat. "I like that there's not much furniture yet. Just the bare essentials but it gives the house a more open layout than it already is."

"Thanks, I love it," Josh answered, handing her a glass of wine as she perched on the stool next to him, his eyes on his iPad showing his backstage promo with Bron Breakker on YouTube. "I can just come in and chill when I get tired of Atlanta. A couple minutes’ drive to the beach, nice little pool outside and gym area. It’s the perfect escape, uce." He gave her a long look. “Shame you won’t be around these parts no more, though.”

Delilah laughed and kissed her teeth. “Not you talkin’ like you don’t got other reasons for coming to Pensacola. And I see me definitely coming back to visit every once in a while. My mama and sister are here. You got family here, too, right?”

“Yeah, but it ain’t the same.” It was a silly thing to say considering the fact that despite her being here with him right now, Delilah was still all about Andre. Josh knew that. Even when she was with him in Orlando, he had sensed that her fiancé was still very much on her mind. But he had to admit that deep down he was happy that Andre was being a giant asshole, that the dude clearly didn't know what he had in this beautiful woman who was going places, that she had ended up seeking comfort in his arms and still was. 

Moving on quickly so she couldn’t react to his statement, he reached into his open carry-on suitcase and pulled out a gift bag. “Oh, by the way, I got you something," he announced. Sliding the gift box labeled Swarovski over to her, he chuckled at the gasp she let out, a bewildered look on her face.

“What’s this?” she inquired, looking over at him with wide eyes.

"Just a lil' sumn to celebrate your brand new contract as a WWE Superstar. We co-workers now, girl," he said with a big smile, watching her loosen the ribbon from the box and remove the lid. Nestled in velvet was a simple diamond necklace with a matching bracelet and earrings, the stones gleaming with flawless clarity. His heart warmed at her facial expressions and her happy smile as she looked up at him.

“You didn’t have to do this. You’ve already helped me so much, Josh,” Delilah insisted, her voice thickening with emotion. “You’re the reason I got this contract, the reason I’m about to start living my dream. I can’t begin to tell you just how grateful I am for you.”

Josh felt a smile of his own touch his lips. “Nah, baby. You did that,” he replied tenderly. “You’re the one who made the decision to follow your dreams. I just…made a few suggestions, ain’t nothin’-”

He was silenced by Delilah flinging her arms around him, her body angling to face him as she tucked her face in the crook of his neck. In turn, his hand lowered down to her hip, holding her close as he brushed his lips over her temple. 

“I take it you like it?” he asked.

“I love it. Thank you,” she whispered back. She would figure out how to explain away the gift to Andre, but right now she was consumed with gratitude, and maybe something else for this wonderful gesture from a man who, despite the complication between them, had grown into one of her closest friends. 

Her phone buzzing from across the room interrupted their embrace. Her reluctance to unhand him for the few seconds it took to retrieve the device humored Josh as he watched her slide off the seat, his gaze fixated on the tantalizing sway of her hips and ass still visible through his shirt that was baggy on her.

Delilah winced as she found her phone face down on the floor by the couch, no doubt knocked off while they were knocking boots. She was relieved to see the screen wasn’t cracked and even more relieved to see that the notifications were only from her favorite wrestling gossip blog and nothing more serious or concerning.

Or so she thought.

Gossip Gworl Piping Hot Tea: Exclusive pics of Jey Uso and his (ex?) wife Tameka.

She should have cleared out the notification, knowing full well of the drama that was about to be unleashed. But her curiosity was too great. With jolted nerves, she unlocked her phone to read the article.

Several pictures, at least six in number, of Josh and another woman sitting cozily in some park. His wife, according to the comments. They were recent pics as well, just last week. Wearing sunglasses and a SnapBack backwards on his head, his arm was looped around her neck with their fingers linked together. Delilah’s heart raced faster, her fingers shaky as she scrolled through more pictures, of him and her sitting in a circle with whom she assumed were their sons…Of him kissing her cheek, a big grin on her face as she adjusted her sun hat...

It was a steep drop, the plummet of her stomach. A dull ache that materialized in her chest and only seemed to grow stronger with each breath she took. Yet somehow, with this suffocating myriad of emotions swelling inside her, she still managed to put one foot in front of the other, her numb legs steering her towards the kitchen in search of answers she already knew she wouldn’t like.

“You ready to eat, bae? I did my best makin’ this chili con carne so don't-” Josh turned around, startled to find her right in front of him with her phone in his face. 

“That’s your wife, right? The one you’re still separated and not divorced from?” Delilah questioned, her tone accusing. She watched his eyes frantically scan her phone, and his reaction told her everything she needed to know.

Josh sighed, reluctantly meeting her fiery glare. “Babe…We was at an event with our kids. We…we had to put up a united front…”

She smiled, the wry stretch of her full lips devoid of any humor. “Mm-hmm. That looks real united to me.” Stomping back over to the living room area, she stripped off his t-shirt and grabbed her clothes. “I gotta go,” she murmured.

“Baby…Dee, wait,” Josh trailed behind her, making one excuse or the other, but she tuned him out, focusing on getting dressed and packing her things and getting the fuck out of there. 

He wasn’t even to blame, not fully at least. This was on her. She had been so enamored with him and his aura, swept up in his sweet talk and his gestures and the dizzying sex that she had forgotten she was messing around with what was essentially a married man. This was the bitter dose of reality that she sorely needed, and she was grabbing onto it tightly with both hands.

Josh was still following her around like a lost puppy; he was starting to babble, his words tumbling over one another as he tried to plead his case. But she didn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t hear it. Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she brushed past him only to be stopped by his hand catching her arm. “Delilah, look at me, please,” he implored, “Let me explain-”

Delilah shook her head, calmly extricating herself from his grasp. “There’s nothing to explain. I shouldn’t be here. I should never have been here, so I’m going home.” Her gaze fell on the gift box sitting abandoned on the countertop, and she felt like an even bigger fool. She pointed at it as she finally looked him in the face. “And that belongs to your wife. Not me.”

Ignoring the wounded look in his eyes, she made a beeline for the front door, fighting to shake off the burn of his eyes on her as she yanked the door open without another word and fled. Half-expecting him to come after her, she was ultimately grateful that he didn’t; the last thing she wanted was for him to see the anguish on her face.

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Later that evening, Delilah was curled up in the loveseat watching Andre, blissfully unaware of his fiancée’s turmoil as he threw his head back laughing at a Chris Rock special on TV. For the first time in ages, she looked at him, really looked at him. A huge ball of emotion swelled up in her throat, and she had to blink rapidly to keep her tears from spilling down her cheeks for the umpeenth time in just a couple of hours.

She couldn't lose him. She couldn't bear to lose the most stable relationship she had ever had in her life. She had fucked up badly, but he didn't know that, therefore there was still time to fix it.

"I love you," she blurted out.

Andre looked over at her, the confusion in his eyes quickly giving way to a tender smile. "I love you too, baby."

Delilah stood up and pulled her tank top over her head, exposing her breasts. Her shorts soon followed before she made her way over. She snatched the remote from his unsuspecting hands, tossing it somewhere. He looked even more confused now, but she straddled his body before he had time to react. Leaning down, she cupped his face and kissed him with all the purpose and passion she could muster. Her tongue invaded his mouth, catching him off guard. She had never kissed him like that; it was as if she was trying to devour him whole. Her fingernails raked across his bare, toned chest, causing him to wince a little, but she didn't stop. He moaned into her mouth as she rolled her ass against his covered crotch, maneuvering him so that they both fell across the couch with her on top. 

"I want you, Daddy. Touch me," she commanded, breathless.

It was more of an order than a request, one Andre eagerly obeyed by letting his hands roam over her bare breasts down to the silky material that barely covered her plump backside. Impatient, Delilah shoved her hand inside his pants, her grip firm on the long, hard erection that was aching to be inside her. Releasing it from its confines, she stroked him eagerly, lowering her mouth and spitting on the head.

"Whoa, Dee," Andre choked out in surprise, trying to catch his bearings. "This some OnlyFans shit you got goin’ on…"

Delilah ignored him as she continued her oral attack, sucking his dick from base to head and back down. It was a striking contrast between the tight seal of her lips and the pain of her teeth scraping his hard flesh that had him groaning and squirming from pleasure. A couple of minutes passed before she climbed back on top of him and slid his dick as deep inside her as possible. With her hands planted on his chest holding him down, she rode him wildly, their heavy breathing met only with the sound of the worn couch creaking beneath their writhing weights. Her eyes fluttered shut as Andre grabbed her hips and thrust harder inside her, her mouth falling open in a groan as he hit that one sweet spot that made her eyes water. She opened her eyes to look down at him, her heart lurching when instead another pair of eyes was staring back at her.

“No,” she hissed, burying her face in Andre's neck as she bounced on him with increasing desperation, trying to focus on the man groaning underneath her. She grabbed his hand from her breast and guided it down between her legs, making his fingers work her clit like Josh would do. His face haunted her, the memory of him hunting her down until all she could do was let the pleasure consume her as she climaxed hard. Underneath her, Andre’s body jerked as he emptied into her with a strangled moan, his warm seed splashing deep inside her walls. Delilah shivered as her pussy clenched and unclenched, making a mess between them as they drained each other to the last drop. When it was over, she collapsed on his torso, briefly disoriented from the sheer strength of her orgasm.

"Dre…"

Andre ran his hands along her back and kissed the top of her head, weaving his fingers through her hair. "Damn, baby. We been fucking so good lately, so spontaneous. I love it," he lauded her with a kiss on her lips.

Delilah rolled off of him and stared blankly at the ceiling. Now what? This was supposed to fix everything. This was supposed to bring them back to normal. Supposed to erase what she had done with Josh. But nothing had changed. Nothing was different. Everything was very much still the same. And all that was left was a painfully gnawing feeling she was now convinced would never go away.

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Things just took a sharp turn. Thoughts?

I love likes but I love comments more 😉

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[another-supernova-girl]

An Exercise in Control - Cooper Adams/Abbott x Fem OC

* Part 2 : The Line Begins to Blur *

Welcome to chapter 2 (of 5) of my Cooper Adams/Abbott fic. Thank you to everyone who gave the first chapter a chance, especially those who reblogged and/or commented. I know it wasn't super exciting, but some groundwork had to be laid. I promise things are about to get more interesting 💙As Always, gif is mine.

CHAPTER 1 CAN BE FOUND HERE

(( word count ~ 4,200 ))

🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪

“Hey there, Delilah,” rang out a voice that was not familiar, yet the source, unmistakable. She could have passed by without noticing them, or pretended she hadn't, but her earbuds had gone quiet between tracks, and the second of pause in her stride told them they had not gone unheard. When they shouted her name alone, louder, she paused completely, and swerved around in an annoyed one-eighty.

“What?!” her voice called back, raising her shoulders at a pair of fast fashion clothing store employees, hanging just outside the opening that served as the retailer's door. She didn't know all of their names, but almost all of them, throughout the mall, seemed to belong to the same hivemind of juvenile behavior. They are juveniles, Delilah silently reminded herself as they beckoned her over. They're teenagers. Their frontal lobes aren't fully developed-

“Is it true you're fucking the narc?” one of the girls demanded, and the few steps Delilah had taken came to a pause. “It is, right? You're fucking the Rent-A-Cop?” she reiterated, and Delilah's eyes simply slid closed, a sigh escaping her.

“Not that's it's remotely your business who I fuck, but no. Cooper and I are just friends,” she stated simply, hoping to end it there, but before she could turn, a sharp acrylic nail snagged the edge of her uniform top, threatening to pierce it.

“Oh, first-name basis? That's...yeah, that's convincing,” the other girl quipped.

Delilah wished the experience of this ridiculousness was a first time occurrence, but it had probably happened at least a half dozen times now, between employees speaking directly at her – never to her – or talking about it like she wasn't in clear earshot. It was like living in perpetual high school, over a decade post-graduation.

“Don't you have some sweatshop shirts to sell?” Delilah retorted, and they both rolled their eyes. “Or a junior year to repeat, Samantha?” The taller of the two suddenly went quite still.

“That's not true-”

“Really? That's not what Laura said” she replied, choosing a name out of dozens, no idea if it was the right one, nor did she care. This would go on forever if she didn't force a distraction.

“Laura from the Hollister?” she demanded, and Delilah nodded quickly. She'd have to remember to avoid passing by the Hollister for a while. With the two girls distracted by manufactured drama, Delilah made quick steps the direction she'd originally been traveling. She walked so fast she didn't notice the security guard on the other side of the wall she passed, tucked away in the shadow, listening intently.

🔪

A hand suddenly placed against the small of her back sent a full-body shudder through Delilah's body as she stood near the far end of the bookstore, the mall just closed within the last hour, granting her the time to finally take care of the stocking of shelves without the worry of booktok-addicted thieves popping in to snatch something and scamper off. One of her earbuds was plucked from her ear by a hand that wasn't her own, and she turned about to find Cooper standing even closer than usual. “You're never gonna stop doing that, are you?” she questioned, letting out a sigh and putting her palm against the black material of his uniform to create a bit more distance between them.

“I'll stop doing it when you stop giving me such cute reactions,” Cooper answered, and Delilah's cheeks flushed a few shades. It was true what she'd told the H&M girlies, that they were, in fact, not fucking. They hadn't even kissed. Nothing had happened beyond him occasionally placing his hands on her in ways that were just close enough to indifferent to not spark definite suspicions of some deeper intent. Or maybe the bookseller just didn't want to let her hopes and imagination get the best of her, and leave her with more melancholy. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn't I be alright?” Delilah asked, gathering up the new books that wouldn't fit on the shelves, and tucking them back into the inventory box.

“I don't know. I usually see you at least once before closing time. Thought I might have done something,” he shrugged, watching her flit around, out of his physical reach.

“Of course not,” she answered automatically, and before she could get past him, he spoke up again.

“I heard those girls,” Cooper stated simply, his mind having reflected on the conversation he'd listened in on a few hours previous. “Does that happen a lot?”

“It's...it's just stupid teen gossip,” Delilah quipped, avoiding direct eye contact as she shuffled around. She always seemed to be visibly more busied when she didn't like the direction of the conversation. “They think I get special treatment because we...” she paused, hearing the squeaking sound of worn vinyl as Cooper plopped down on a beanbag chair from the children's section, his body looking like that of a giant, atop the diminutive peace of 'furniture'. “Because you hang around a lot, I guess.”

Cooper was quiet for several seconds before he spoke up, Delilah's actions becoming more unfocused. Though she tried to make herself look busy, the security guard experienced no issue in seeing right through her performative nonchalance. “Does that bother you?” he asked suddenly, and Delilah's body stilled, shifting to finally look at him. He was pretty much all she thought about anymore, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to simply be around him when she wanted so much more than a casual workplace friendship.

“That they bring their bratty high school attitude to work and make it everyone else's problem?” she retorted.

“That I spend so much time around here,” he clarified. “I hope I'm not wearing out my welcome.”

“No, of course not, you aren't...not remotely,” she finally admitted, shaking her head slightly, her green eyes earnest as she stared into his umber gaze, almost blackened by the shadow cast from his brow.

“You're sure?” Cooper asked, his stare unceasing as she leaned against the edge of a sturdy bookcase.

“Of...Of course,” she mumbled, her vision falling away as his eyes became too dangerous to continue staring into. “You're...I mean, I'm sure you've noticed that I...I really don't have much in the way of...well, anyone,” she admitted, her thumb running along her other hand where she clasped them together in a self-soothing gesture.

“You've got friends outside w-”

“No, I really don't. I used to. But I don't know, it's like...it's so hard to make friends that you don't,” she paused and gestured to him as an example, punishing the beanbag chair with his muscle-fueled weight, “work in the vicinity of. I used to have friends, back when I worked at the office. Or I thought I did, but...between everyone else quitting or moving, or getting married, or pregnant, or both...all my friendships kind of dissolved before I ever left. It's like...if you don't fit inside this predetermined section of adulthood, you're not worth being around...Especially when you're the not-fun one who also doesn't want to go to happy hour, after.”

Cooper sat in silence, listening to her spill. It was true that he hadn't established any surface friendships that weren't extremely casual, and connected to the mall, but making friends and staying on people's positive purview had never been an issue for him. Though, the whole mentally unstable serial killer charm was probably tied to that. Or maybe it was just harder for women. “So, I'm not bothering you?” he finally asked. He wasn't really invested in the idea of helping her develop new friendships. He liked her exactly where she was, right below his metaphorical thumb.

“To be honest...you're pretty much the highlight of my day, most days,” she admitted, her gaze falling back to the floor at the admission. It felt uncomfortably close to an admission of her attraction, her affection for him, but it was true, and she couldn't keep living in the perpetual fear that her feelings weren't reflected in his own.

“Well,” Cooper finally spoke up, reaching his hand up for assistance off what was practically the floor. It took nearly all of her effort when she took his hand and pulled with all her strength to bring him up to his feet, stumbling a bit when he towered over her, not even a foot between them. A light chuckle not even Cooper expected slipped out of him, and his left hand was reaching for hers, his right tipping up her chin with the slightest contact. “I suppose I'll just have to work on making it 'everyday'.”

🔪

It was half past one when Delilah's shoes clacked against the peeling vinyl floor of an Italian restaurant conjoined with the mall, thankful she'd kept the key-code to the outside door, written down from when a former employee had shared it with her. A secret entrance for employees only that not even Cooper had noticed on his rounds, it had saved her more than once when she'd left the mall after work and realized she'd left something behind, long after the guards had locked up. It had been her laptop charger this time, and with her actually managing to snag a full day and night off, she couldn't afford to leave it until she worked next. She held an unlikely hope that she might run into Cooper one last time before her day off, with the comforting attention he'd paid her earlier that night, and the knowledge that she'd have to deal with her roommate soon. Walking a little too close to one of the lengthy walls down a main corridor, she nearly toppled to the ground when a door she had never seen utilized suddenly swung open, almost smacking against her.

“C-Cooper...That's two times in one night,” she managed, a little shaken from almost colliding face-first with the solid door.

“Where...How did you get in here? I made sure your car was gone before I locked everything up,” Cooper spoke, his voice sounding a bit off, his brows more animate than usual, and his bottom jaw shifting from side to side with tension.

“There's a key-code door to the Maggiano's employee entrance. I guess the code hasn't changed in a while,” she explained. “Speaking of doors...” she indicated the one Cooper had his hand firmly planted against. “I didn't even know anyone used that one. What were you doing in there?”

Cooper's little facial ticks pricked and tugged at his handsome features, actively thinking up a believable lie. Never once had he accessed the basement levels when the mall was open, while Delilah was on the premises. His acts...his violent, carved up acts...it wasn't exactly possible to keep his two lives separate as he had before, in his marriage. Perhaps it had not been as separate as he might admit to himself, given the jewelry he'd gifted his wife and daughter, literal trophies of some of his dismemberments. But this side of himself, he had no intentions to introduce her to. Their game was not about violence, as all his others had been. His urges were not the same as what he felt toward those people he believed saw themselves as whole. It hadn't been worth the risk of letting her even know the lower levels even existed, but her fingers were reaching for the handle of the door before he could register her movement.

“I can't let you-” Cooper began, his tone like a command, as if it were forbidden. That only made her want to venture on.

“Oh, come on, what's down there?” she asked, intrigued.

“It's...not much of anything,” he uttered, but she was slipping around him and reaching for the knob again, his arms shooting out to grasp her wrists before he realized what he was doing. Neither moved, both conscious of the new, even more powerful position he held over her. His eyes seemed so black in the poor lighting of the after hours hallway, no words exchanged between them as he carefully guided her hands to the cool metal of the door, her slender form practically engulfed in his shadow. “It's not for you,” he stated firmly, which only served to shift her curiosity into suspicion.

“What do you mean, it's not for me...Is it for someone else?” she asked. The last question had a twinge of self-doubt that she immediately regretted.

Cooper observed her in silence, his hands abandoning her wrists and drawing away from the door, his palms finding the sides of her waist, his grip light but not subtle. “Who else would there be?”

Delilah's hands finally broke contact with the metal surface, drifting down to insufficiently wrap over the hands at her waist, her gaze following, watching with nervous interest as his digits played at the untucked hem of her shirt, curling slightly to expose her midriff, his callous-roughened fingertips and blunt nails scraping her skin. Looking not to the man at her back, but past him to the camera she knew pointed in their vicinity from it's home on the ceiling, her fingers finally gripped his hands for fully, and she dragged them away from her torso. “I should really be-”

“Don't go,” Cooper murmured, his hand grasping hers before she could completely escape his presence. “If you really want to see...I'll show you what's down there,” his voice was low, calm, almost disconcertingly so, but it held her just as firmly as his physical grasp. “It can be our secret.”

🔪

Slipping through the heavy, metal door, Delilah's shoulders twitched at the sound of it slamming home behind herself and the security guard. From what she could see in the seconds before it had closed noisily behind them, they seemed to be standing in a long hallway that didn't have an apparent end. Surrounding the two of them was only darkness, the neon lights on the consumer side of the door not even creeping in through the bottom edge. There was only blackness and silence outside of her anxious breathing for several seconds before Cooper spoke up again, Delilah already beginning to spiral over how incredibly stupid of a decision she might have just made. What did she know about him, really? Sure, he paid her attention, like no one else had in longer than she wished to admit, but she knew virtually nothing about him outside of the building they both worked in.

“It's this way,” he finally spoke up, and in this pitch-dark space, his presence felt even more engulfing than usual. Even alone in the bookstore at night, the only two souls left in the building, his company had never felt this intense...almost threatening.

“Wh...what's this way?” she asked, her voice cracking, his hand cupping her shoulder as she walked ahead of him at a leisured pace.

“A staircase,” he stated simply, his free hand reaching into one of his many pocket compartments to draw out a high lumen flashlight, Delilah's shoulders going slack almost immediately at the sudden flood of light. “There's a whole basement floor that seems to have been abandoned,” he advised, mentally noting her quickly calming demeanor as she glanced along the walls, and Cooper pressed the flashlight into her hand to allow her to take lead. His current victim was chained and gagged at the far end of the basement level, after all, and way out of earshot from anywhere he'd permit her to explore. When they finally reached a wall, a single story flight of stairs came into view, a faint glow at the bottom.

“This is...how did you find out about this?” Delilah queried, clicking off the flashlight and passing it back to Cooper, her gaze flitting in all directions as they reached the bottom of the staircase.

Schematics and blueprints from the city archives, Cooper recalled, before speaking up. “I lucked out. I found a ring of keys in the security office behind the desk, and one of them fit.” He'd searched extensively for hidden spaces, forgotten by time, long before settling on this community, and his current position.

“Okay, but...why keep it a secret?” she continued, giving him a confused look, before glancing past his shoulder. The basement level was full of half-built walls that opened up to empty spaces, winding hallways, a few locked doors here and there.

“Purely selfish reasons,” Cooper admitted, and Delilah glanced back at him once more.

“Like?” She asked, and when the security guard hesitated, her features took on a look of despondence. “Oh, right. We don't talk about you. I almost forgot-”

“I have some hobbies that require a lot of space that my home can't accommodate,” the Butcher spoke up. “Plus...sometimes it's nice to have a little space to hide away. I know you can relate to that.”

“A little?” Delilah repeated his words, reaching a hand out and making a sweeping gesture with her arm at the enormous, seemingly endless liminal space they found themselves in. Cooper put on a casual smile and shrugged his shoulders, glancing around as well, making certain they weren't anywhere near his victim. Well, his other victim. “And those hobbies?” she hedged, but he shook his head faintly, and she nodded.

“Like I said...they aren't for you,” he reminded, and she cast her gaze away from him.

“So...I guess I don't understand why you wanted me to come down here, then?” she concluded, a frown forming on her lips.

Cooper was silent for a few moments before he spoke up. He wasn't certain, himself, why he'd gone against his better, secret-keeping judgment. “Maybe I...just wanted to get you to myself,” he finally offered.

Delilah let out a soft, unenthusiastic laugh. “You basically have me to yourself, all the time...it's not like anyone's exactly competing for my time, and...attention,” she paused when she registered that he was no longer at her side. When she turned around, it also dawned on her just how dark it had become, realizing they had managed to wander way past the functionality of the overhead lights. “Cooper?”

“I'm here,” he spoke up almost immediately, and she swiveled around in the direction of his voice.

“I...think we should go back,” she mumbled, glancing around in the dark when she heard his feet move against the concrete floor.

“Why?” he asked bluntly, and Delilah's brows knit together in confusion and unease.

“Because...you're kind of...making me uncomfortable,” she admitted, turning when she heard his shoes on the floor again.

“Do you want me to make you comfortable?” he inquired, which did nothing but put her more on edge.

“Cooper-”

“We could stay...I could keep you down here...all to myself...steal you away,” his voice had taken on a low, gravely tone that confused her even more, though not so much with him, but herself. Where was her self-preservation instinct? Did she not have a phone with a flashlight in her pocket? Could she not just- “I'm not hearing a no.”

“Of course it's a no,” she managed, reaching out in the direction she perceived his voice to be emanating from, and grasping a fistful of his jacket.

“You don't sound so sure,” Cooper spoke up, his hand gently grasping the smaller one that gripped his outer layer of clothing, carefully dragging it away, weaving his own fingers betwixt hers instead.

“Cooper, you're...you're kind of scaring me,” she admitted, and the Butcher finally paused.

“I know,” he finally answered, feeling her fingers attempting to tug away from his grasp. “It's not fair of me, but I...you know it's just a joke, right? You know I'd never hurt you.”

No, I definitely don't know that, Delilah thought, but kept her vocalizations more subdued. “Then...let's just get out of here,” she cautiously suggested.

More silence from the large, looming form in front of her, and his free hand was at her cheek, the subtlest flinch giving him a moment's pause. “Please...just a little longer. I know you have to go home, but...just stay a little longer. No more bad jokes,” he pleaded, his tone subdued.

When she returned no words in answer, he let out an audible breath, glancing back in the direction he knew led to the staircase. He'd pushed too far. It was too-

"I guess I...I just don't really understand what you see in me. I mean, you're so...and I'm just...I'm really not anything special,” she finally admitted, and if she'd been able to see anything, she'd have seen the surprise and disbelieve on his face.

"Who told you that lie?" he finally spoke, the hand that had morphed with hers departing to rise up and cup her cheek, her flushed skin warm and soft against his callous-roughened hand.

“It's more like years of experience,” she mumbled, and she felt him step in closer, her own feet traveling backwards on instinct. “You hang around me all the time, but you don't let me in, and I never know where I stand with you, and-” her words came to an end when she felt the pad of his finger press against her lips, her back colliding against one of the many walls she couldn't see. Expecting to feel his lips against hers, she was surprised to feel the firm surface of his forehead against hers instead, Cooper leaning over her, his hands at her jaw, her neck, over her shoulders where they remained.

“You're right...I'm out of practice, and that's no fault of yours,” he admitted, waiting for her shoulders to tense or not. They remained lax in his loose grip.

🔪

Much as he desired to stay in the hidden realm of the basement level, to test the limits of her trust, push her farther, perhaps across an empty table with her chest to the unvarnished wood, one hand on her back while the other dragged down his zipper to...well, perhaps some other time. So long as Cooper played his hand well, kept the worst of his proclivities at bay, his time and chances to turn her to putty in his hands were virtually limitless. Maybe a little private show under the watchful, constant gaze of the CCTV from the comfort of the security office-

The clanging of the metal barrier slapping against the recently mopped floors brought Cooper's thoughts back to the real world, and he pressed off the wall he'd leaned against, waiting for Delilah to retrieve her laptop charger. “Got it,” she declared, holding it up as if he required proof, before stuffing it into her purse. He nodded and reached out a hand when she stepped close enough, the two of them meeting in the middle of the corridor. When Cooper noticed her brief hesitance, he made the decision for her, and clasped his hand around hers, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Somehow, if felt different in the open, under the glowing neon of the store fronts they passed, even with no one else around to see them.

“I'm not gonna bite,” Cooper spoke up as he observed the way she focused her gaze on literally anything but himself, though she made no attempt to extract her hand from his. “Unless you want me to,” he added, and was pleased and a bit relieved to catch the smile that tugged at her lips.

She nearly apologized before she caught herself, concluding she didn't really have anything to apologize for. “In the basement, you...you really made me uncomfortable,” she explained, chancing a glance up to his eyes that watched her so ceaselessly.

“I know,” he confessed, abandoning her hand closest to him, only to reach around and grasp her other hand, lifting it to hold in his where his wrist balanced atop her shoulder. “I can't promise it won't happen again,” he admitted, giving the hand clutched in his larger one a slight squeeze when her brows furrowed at his words. “But, I'll try to be more...cognizant of your boundaries.”

We haven't even been on a date, and I feel like I need a safe word, Delilah thought, as the mall entrance closest to her car came into view. “Well, anyway...thanks for...whatever the hell tonight was,” she declared as Cooper finally let go of her hand, her brows quirked as she considered the strangeness of their evening. Cooper shrugged his shoulders, a calm smile across his lips as he set to work unlocking the door, and holding it open for her. “I guess I'll see you...in a couple nights,” she added, and he nodded simply, lifting a hand to wave before she could turn away to trudge toward her car.

She hadn't made it ten feet before his voice suddenly called out to her, and she swiveled around to face him. “Delilah, can I...can I take you out to dinner, sometime?”

The bookseller stared at him, her lips parting, and closing again without sound, running her tongue nervously over them, trying again. “Like, on a date? A real date?”

Cooper's smile became more broad as his gaze softened, leaning against the open door of the building entrance. “Yeah. A real one.”

🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪 🔪

CHAPTER 3 CAN BE FOUND HERE

tagging as requested : @one-of-thewalkingdead , @gissellec1 , @rainingrabbits89-blog , @pinkflowerwombat , @sashimeep , @strangererotica @the-butchers-baby @callsign-fangirl @hibiskooks

If I forgot anyone, I apologize, and please let me know if you want to be tagged in the next one

COMMENTS AND REBLOGS AND TAGS ARE DEEPLY APPRECIATED. I KNOW THIS IS A BIT DIFFERENT THAN MOST OF THE OTHER COOPER STORIES BEING WRITTEN, BUT I HOPE IT APPEALS TO SOMEONE BESIDES MYSELF 💙

[jessicaslittlelovesickmess]

Burn Marks

Pairing: Larissa Weems x Reader

Warnings: Toxic!Larissa, mentions of pregnancy, angst, hopeful ending, hints of starving

Pt1

It destroyed you when she left you pregnant and with a hyper three year old who was full of questions of where her favoured mama is. It burnt your lungs with each lie you told her unable to state the truth afraid to scar the young girl the way you had been.

Soon enough your little boy Theodore had been born, named right after Larissa’s father who had the same blue eyes as her but your blonde hair. The more Delilah grew the more she shaped into Larissa the woman who had shattered your being.

Once Theo was old enough to attend Kindergarten you were off to rebuild the woman you once were, daily after the school drop off you hit the gym. You went back to school to study fashion something you had enjoyed, it was tiring but you wished nothing else.

At night the children would curl around you on the sofa as you read to them, a peace you had never felt before, a sense of security. Larissa had never tried to reach out not when Delilah had turned five or even ten, your children now sixteen and thirteen.

It took some time but finally you owned your own boutique while raising two children it was hard and sometimes you had to go without. Always making sure their little bellies were full, along the line you often wondered where Larissa was in life.

If she thought it was worth it

Now you sat across from her

“We’re here for our daughters enrolment”

Larissa shifted in her seat as she cleared her throat almost taken aback “right, I apologise” she nodded the air now thick. “So- uh how is she?” You shook your head “not quite the question Larissa” the woman couldn’t focus. Not when she had a straight view of your cleavage, not when you looked so great now she really began to regret.

“Look Larissa, I can help with Fundraisers whatever you need. Our daughters happiness means most so if you do anything to tarnish that” I threatened. “Everything will be paid in full by me and me only, I don’t want your charity nor your pity. You can fester in your guilt if you even feel guilty”.

“I said I was sorry Y/n” Larissa barked “I don’t care” you shrugged “you threw everything away! I gave every ounce of me up for you and you leave like our family was last weeks news”. You shot up from your seat “my body changing was only natural since I had your child! Me being tired was normal because I was working TWO jobs and RAISING OUR DAUGHTER, I WAS PREGNANT LARISSA!”

“I was pregnant and planning this wonderful life with you” your voice broke unable to face her “your actions burned me, they scar our children”. A sinking fell into Larissa’s chest “so tell me again how sad your life is, how hard it is now that you have to face your choices”

Call it Karma

“I loved you so fiercely that even two years after you left I would’ve welcomed you with open arms but no, we made our beds Larissa time to lay in them”

“I refuse to” the woman’s voice determined “well I have, I’m tired Larissa” you matched her energy “maybe I still love you”. You laughed at her words “love me? I thought you no longer love me isn’t that why you left? To find something bigger? Someone better? Or did you find only I would put up with your attitude?”

“You’re not being fair” Larissa stated only causing you to laugh “fair?” You faced her “I’m not being fair? Give me a break Larissa, fairness didn’t matter thirteen years ago when you up and split”.

Larissa knew you were right, of course you were you always had been and she knew she used you she didn’t feel bad about it.

“No you’re right but the past is the past Y/n or have you not changed?”

“Don’t humour me Larissa, I was forced to change. Our children needed at least one role model but you wouldn’t know what that’s like”

I was jealous she could pretend to be this great maternal principal when she was a horrible mother, she had abandoned her family. With a sigh I sat back down “it’s a crappy thing you did and I hope you can make amends with our children but for now any questions you have go straight to my assistant”.

Larissa cringed slightly “Your assistant?” You raised a brow “I’m not letting you back in so easily honey” resting against the back of your chair with a small smirk.

The blonde took it as a deal

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 8.5 K Warnings: none Prompt: The divination classroom becomes an intriguing nexus for forging new friendships amidst revelations laden with enigmatic symbolism. Meanwhile, Defense Against the Dark Arts delves even deeper into the shadows as you struggle to grasp the imminence of the ever-looming wаr. This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 9: The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroкe

September 24, 1976 - Friday

Your race with Sirius, Marlene and a couple of other students who decided to tag along and prove their worth would be next week. The broom race was basically the talk of town. James had talked to the other Quidditch Team Captains, Lyonel Aldridge, Delilah Moss and of course Dmitri Volkov, and they all reached to the conclusion that it would be a great way to boost their team’s morale before the first match.

You woke up early like you had been doing the past couple of weeks, but you and Sirius had gotten a lot more competitive, so competitive you’d already gotten on James’ nerves. Which was something pretty hard to do when you were talking about quidditch. Every day you’d go on mini races, inventing new challenges to fulfill and you always pestered James regarding who’d gotten there first.

“My hand reached the line first,” Sirius said.

“Yeah, but it’s not about hands, it’s about brooms, my broom reached the halo first.” You argued back. 

“It’s not about brooms, we said whoever gets there first, and clearly I did.” 

“Sirius you can’t bend the rules so you win all the time! Besides, if I had stretched my hand I would’ve reached first so it doesn’t count.” 

“It does because you didn’t!” 

“James tell him!” You said. 

“No James, tell her!”

James sighed exasperated and hit his head against the handle of his broom “Just fucк each other already,” he mumbled, not that either of you heard it. 

“What?” You asked with a frown. 

“You know what?" He snapped, sitting straight "Neither of you won! And your mini air races when practicing? They’re OVER! No more broom races until official race day and then you’ll admit the other is a faster flier and this bickering will be forgotten.” 

“But James!” Both you and Sirius argued. 

He gave you both a stern look, and you shot your mouth. “Fine then, till the race we’ll know.” 

Sirius nodded “Truce?” He said offering you his hand. You took a deep breath and shook it. 

Once you were back in the ground Sirius called you with a smirk “Hey (Y/N)! Bet I can get to the common room before you do.” He then started running. 

“You wish,” you said running behind him.

James sighed again “We said no races!” 

“You said no flying,” Sirius shouted back. 

You then turned to James with a smile as you ran “He’s right, this is running.” 

James rolled his eyes but took off running behind the two of you anyway. The only thing that sometimes shut the two of you up, was when someone else won, and he had the longest legs. In the end, he was indeed the first one to arrive, letting himself fall on the couch as you and Sirius fought your way inside. 

“Prongs, you’re here?” You said out of breath when you saw him laying on the couch, regaining his own breath. 

He frowned “Since when do you call me Prongs?” He asked amused. 

“Oh… um… sorry, it must have slipped,” You said as you sat down “I blame Sirius for it.” 

James laughed “No, it’s fine. You can call me Prongs.” He took a long breath, “But stop blaming Pads for everything.” 

“In my defence. It really is ALWAYS Sirius’ fault.” 

He made the face of a man that agreed with your statement. “James!” Sirius complained he noticed. 

James grimaced in return “For fucкs sake, take me away from these two,” he said grabbing a pillow and placing it over his head dramatically. 

You and Sirius exchanged a glance, yeah, you may be bickering all the time now, but it was all friendly banter, James was overreacting. 

“Morning,” you heard Remus say as he came down the stairs “Just got here from practice?” 

You nodded “And they’re getting on my nerves Moony,” James grumbled. 

Remus raised an eyebrow at the two of you “We just asked him to decide who’d been the winner of our mini race,” you said innocently.

 He nodded, understanding. “Leave poor James alone, he’s been doing so much to prepare your race that… he might actually be sick of quidditch by the end of it.” 

James instantly reacted to Remus’ words, removing the pillow from his head “I would never!” 

You were sweaty from so much running so you excused yourself and went for a short shower, Lily was preparing her backpack when you walked out of the bathroom, using your wand to dry your hair. “Today we’re picking the fluxweed together, right?” You asked her. 

She nodded “Just wait for me, will you? We’ll walk to the greenhouse together, don’t think of going by yourself.” 

“Of course, I’ll wait for you Lils, don’t worry about it,” you told her with a smile and finished both closing the buttons of your shirt, and shoving your stuff quickly in your bag "Ready for breakfast?"

Lily nodded and the two of you walked down to the common room together. The boys were secretly talking to each other on the corner close to the fire, looking all conspiratoriall as they did. "You coming for breakfast?" Lily asked them. Remus turned to look at her, his brown eyes seemed more golden than usual, you wondered if it was because of the lighting in the room.

"Yes, we’ll be down in a minute tho, we’re helping Peter finish his Divination essay.” 

You raised an eyebrow at that statement. Since when did they help Peter with essays? Well, Remus definitely would help Peter, he’d probably help anyone that asked nicely. But the rest? Sirius? That was a bit sus, to say the least. But Lily was already walking out of the common room, so after giving them one more look, you followed her. Maybe they were planning another prank like the rain on the main hall. 

Once you were downstairs, the two of you walked towards the great hall. Mary, Marlene, Beth and some others were already there, having breakfast. You greeted them all with a smile “Good morning!” You said as you sat down. 

“Morning,” responded Mary as she looked up from her copy of The Daily Prophet. 

“Anything new?” You asked her, nodding towards the paper. 

She shook her head “Just the wаr,” she replied somberly “Apparently some deatheaters went on a кiling spree. They’re trying to get the muggle-borns.” 

“An older lady was кiled,” Marlene continued “Marsha Allenty, she was a muggle-born auror.” 

You shuddered at the thought. Muggle-borns first, half-borns next, it wouldn’t take them too long to destroy half the wizarding population if they kept going. Someone had to stop them. You were about to say something when the owls started coming in.  

Your family owl, Barnaby, flew down, dropping a package in front of you. You looked at it. The (Y/LN) family seal was stamped over the elegant wrapping. It had to be from your mother. You opened the package, it contained several things. Some galleons, sweets from your favourite bakery back at home, which instantly told you they’d been travelling. A box filled with different potions, and some ingredients to brew shampoo and other beauty-related things. A special potions booklet and a small velvet box. 

You opened it and there was a ring inside, a thin metal piece with some engravings on it and a gem at the top, held by 4 small pieces of metal, two shaped like a star and two shaped like a moon. 

“What is it?” asked Beth, leaning into you from the side. 

“A gift from my parents,” you responded, taking the reins out of the box to show it to her. 

“It’s stunning,” she told you. “Do you know what that is?” She said pointing at the stone. 

“Moonstone, isn’t it?” You asked, Beth nodded. “Mom cares a lot about the magical properties of stones,” you explained. 

“And the metal is silver,” she said turning the ring around, taking a look at the little seal on the inside. 

“Silver?” You frowned, taking a closer look “You’re right, that’s different. She’s never given me a silver piece before.” 

“Maybe she thinks you’re old enough?” She asked with a shrug. 

You nodded, but it wasn’t that. Your mom always gave you gold things. She said the protective value of it was a lot higher than any other metal. Even the necklace Sirius had given you in the vacation, made of brass, was turned into gold with a special spell she had, a spell that would leave all the magical properties of the item intact. 

“Well, whatever the reason, she did pick a beautiful ring,” you said, finally sliding it through one of your fingers. 

“Do you know what magic it’s got?” 

You shook your head, looking through the box to see if your mom had written any kind of letter. You didn’t find any and shrugged it off “Maybe she just thought it was pretty…” 

“What was pretty?” Asked Peter, who appeared almost out of nowhere along with the boys. 

“(Y/N) was gifted a new ring,” said Mary before taking a bite from her eggs. 

You raised your hand so Peter could see it “Got it on a package from my mom.”

“Moon and stars, eh?” He asked with a raised eyebrow “Interesting choice of symbolism, isn’t it?” 

You looked at Peter and shrugged. He was right, it was an interesting choice of symbolism. Your mom, like you, had an affinity to divination. Maybe she knew something you didn’t “My mom loves that stuff,” you told him, and lowered your hand back to the table, taking your fork to dig into a sausage. 

The boys sat further down on the table. Just close enough to still be able to talk to everyone already sitting there. You left early to go check on the fireworms. Remus and you had decided to split the days in which you had to feed them, and today was your turn. When you arrived at the tunnel entrance you looked around to make sure no one had followed you and entered as quickly as possible. 

“Lumus,” You whispered, and your wand lit up, making the dark tunnel navigable. You looked through the pockets of your robe and found the scrap of parchment Remus had made for you. “Revelio,” you said as you moved your wand over it, revealing a tiny map of the tunnels. You were sure you’d learn the way soon enough, but for now, the little map was indispensable.

You used the map to navigate the tunnel until you arrived at the little nook in which you’d hidden your fireworms. You grabbed some of the food in your backpack and gently placed it on the food trays you’d created with a couple of pumpkin juice caps. You looked at the little fireworms satisfied when you noticed one of them was shining, like a firefly. But the light travelled from the end of the tail, all the way through his body and towards his head, then with a small little sound, almost like a fairy burp, the fireworm caused a small ball of fire to come from his mouth. You looked at it amazed, and quickly put the small fire out with your wand. 

You grabbed your backpack and took out your charms book, trying to find a flames stopper or fire preventive spell as soon as possible. Soon enough you found something that could work and cast it all over the little fireworm habitat you and Remus had been building. After the spell was ready, you stayed for a couple of minutes to make sure they wouldn’t cause a fire that’d burn the entire castle down and once you were certain you let out a long sigh, not even realizing you’d been holding your breath. 

You were thrilled, your fireworms were doing excellent, the way you and Remus had taken care of them allowed them to develop in less time than the standard, which would guarantee the two of you really good grades. You had to tell Remus about it. Maybe you could tell him in divination. Shiit, divination! You were supposed to be in divination. You ran out of the little nook and used the map to find a shortcut towards the divination tower. Once outside you knocked on the door a couple of times and waited. Professor Spellman opened the door, letting you inside with a displeased glance. 

“I’m sorry for being late,” you mumbled as fast as possible. You walked inside and started walking towards Remus, who luckily, hadn’t been paired with anyone yet. 

“Miss (Y/LN),” Professor Spellman called, you turned to him “You will be working with Sybil today,” he said, pointing towards the small Ravenclaw girl. You swallowed but nodded and walked towards her table. You knew who she was, Remus had told you about her, and her story, and you’d probably exchanged a couple of words with her in the past, but you’d never really talked to her. 

“Hey,” you waved as you sat next to her, she waved back, with a small smile, and absentmindedly nudged her glasses back to their place. You looked at her for a minute, her hair might be messy, and you heard she wasn’t very popular, but she was very pretty non the less. 

Professor Spellman started talking and with a flick of his wand opened some cabinets, floating a teapot in front of each table, Leaf reading. You and Sybil brew the tea together, using some of the herbs suggested by the book for more accurate readings. And started chatting to each other after you served your respective teas. 

“Do you like divination?” She asked you. 

“I… uh… not that much, I’ve had some experiences,” you stuttered. 

“Sad readings?” She asked, with a sympathetic expression. 

You nodded, taking a sip of your tea “It’s always negative stuff with me,” you explained “Accurate, but negative.” You shuddered, “What about you? With your legacy and all?” 

“I don’t dislike it,” she told you with a smile, “I don’t like getting sad readings either but it’s fun to know bits of the future, for example, the other day I had these feeling that it was going to rain, so I put on some rain boots before going to Care for Magical Creatures, some Hufflepuffs and even other kids from my year were throwing looks at me, but when it started raining and everyone’s shoes got ruined, but mine didn’t, it was completely worth it.”

You smiled at her story “I don’t get those kinds of feelings,” you said “But it’s nice to meet someone that enjoys it, maybe you could help me enjoy it too.” 

Eventually, you both finished your teas and exchanged teacups. You took a deep breath and eventually leaned over to look at her cup, hoping there would be something good in there. You exhaled when you saw a small little butterfly on the cup. Butterflies were good, they meant change, they meant personal growth, they meant… Images flashed through your eyes, and you breathed heavily a couple of times, trying to regain composure. 

Sybil knew exactly what was going on, she’d been through it several times before too. So she looked at you with concern. “What did you see?” She asked in a steady tone. 

“Nothing bad,” was the first thing you managed to muster, “just… you’ll give a prophecy soon. A very important one, I saw Professor Dumbledore, he seemed really interested in what you had to say.” She nodded at your words, writing everything you said down on a piece of paper, then you looked at her, placing a hand on her arm “Sybil, this prophecy… it looked like it was going to be dark,” you said “but it’s one of those that will change the world.” 

She nodded, taking in all the information you’d given her. She did not doubt a single word you said. And you were glad she did, sometimes visions as such were hard to comprehend, and that’s if the person even cared for it. 

“Are you ok?” She asked then. 

You nodded “I– uh…” you looked at her tea “You will have a period of transformation and positive change, like the metamorphosis of a butterfly,” you told her, making an effort to read the rest of her tea leaves “You should, uh… embrace the opportunities that’ll come your way and also let yourself spread your wings.” 

She laughed in response “That’s my fortune?” She asked motioning towards her tea cup. 

 “Yeah,” you nodded, sounding very certain about it “You must accept your uniqueness,” you added for good measure, after all, humor is one of the best ways to cope with such things “And me? What’s my destiny?” 

She adjusted her glasses and took a peak at your cup “I see… stars, the moon, they’re surrounding something,” she said “A small animal, maybe a hare, or… a wildcat?” 

You looked at her with a frown “Did you say the moon and stars?” 

She nodded, tilting the cup towards you. And she was right, the moon was there, the stars too, and… the small animal? That was a fox. You took a deep breath and showed her the ring your mom had given you “My mom sent me this,” you told her “also moon and stars symbolism.” 

Sybil raised an eyebrow “Does she have an affinity with divination?” She asked. You nodded in response “Then it must mean something…” she said, picking up her book and flipping through it “But I can’t find anything about the moon and stars in the book.” 

“Interpret it,” Said Professor Spellman as he walked by, looking at Sybil with a stern face. 

She nodded, sliding towards the back of the chair, Professor Spellman was imposing, to say the least. “I uh… I see the moon and the stars, they’re close, to a… it’s a–“ 

“It’s a fox,” you told her “The animal, it’s not a wild cat, it’s a fox.” 

“A fox, right!” she agreed, “and I– are those flowers?” She asked looking deeper into the cup. By then your little interaction had piqued the attention of some other students from the class, they were watching the two of you intently. “I– I may be getting things twisted but… according to your cup, the moon and the star will find a blossoming love with…” she hesitated “with the fox.” 

Everyone around the classroom laughed, but the professor raised a hand to quiet them, looking into the cup himself “Sybil’s reading is accurate.” He said, “Maybe (Y/N) has an idea what those symbols might mean?”

You sat straighter, looking at the professor “I seem to be surrounded by symbolism today,” you told him “But I’m sorry sir, I’ve got no idea what it may mean. Perhaps I’ll adopt a fox or something? Shower it with love and stuff,” You lied. While you may have not been able to understand the whole symbolism, there was one thing you knew for certain: you were the fox. 

The Professor nodded, even if he didn’t look convinced, and moved towards someone else’s table. You exhaled, only then realizing you’d been holding your breath. “He can be very intimidating, right?” Sybil asked you. 

You nodded “Definitely.” She looked like she wanted to tell you something else “What is it?” You asked her. 

“Just.. be careful, yeah? The moon, it– it looks a little mennacing on your cup. Like… like it could be dangerous.” 

You frowned “As in, maybe I shouldn’t go out tonight dangerous or…?” 

“No, no,” she shook her head “I don’t know how to explain it, just… keep that in mind, will ya?” 

You nodded, placing a hand on her arm to reassure her “And you’ll be a famous fortune teller soon,” you told her with a smile “How does that feel?” 

She shrugged “I always expected to end up as one, I guess it’s nice to get a prediction of what you’ll be, makes it a little more certain.” 

“And you trust my predictions?” You asked her with a shrug.

She nodded furiously “Of course I do! It’s not every day a fairy tells you your fortune.” 

“I’m sorry?!” You asked her, shocked. 

“I saw it in your cup,” she explained “I didn’t mean to pry, but it made sense… your divination affinity, your charm and magnetism, your talent while flying… You’re part fairy, aren’t you?”  

You looked at her mortified, your parents had done so many things to keep that hidden and now Sybil just guessed it, “You can’t tell anyone,” you told her in a very serious tone. 

She smiled at you “I wasn’t planning to, your secrets are safe with me.” You smiled at her after that, you trusted her. 

Once the class was over you stood up, but she stayed in her seat “You don’t have another class?” You asked her politely. 

She shook her head “I’ve got arithmancy next, I took it as an optative.” 

You hummed in response “Have fun then,” You told her with a smile “I’ve got Magical Theory.”

“Good luck, I heard Professor Pendragon, can be very strict.” 

“No worse than Spellman,” you whispered, so that the Professor in question, who was talking to some other students wouldn’t hear you. Sybil laughed and you finally pulled your backpack from your seat and started walking outside but you were stopped by Professor Spellman. 

“Miss (Y/LN),” he said, and you walked closer to him “Be very careful tonight,” he warned, “there was something odd on your cup, and as you may know, today is Full Moon.” 

You nodded “Thanks, Professor.” Clearly, he saw the same thing Sybil had seen, which was mildly disturbing, but alas, your day had to continue.

Once you were outside of the classroom you spotted the boys a few stairs down. Peter was walking with the girls, you assumed towards their Ancient Studies class, while James, Sirius and Remus walked together, they were walking towards the east wing, to Magical Theory, the class you shared. You had the intention to catch up with them, but they were looking as suspicious as they had looked earlier in the common room, talking in whispers to each other, heads so close they could easily bump together. You decided it was best to let them be, you’d been hanging out with them so much lately, they probably needed some space. So you slowed down your pace, just far enough so they could get their much-needed privacy. 

Eventually, you reached the Magical Theory classroom, and when you arrived you found James waiting at the door, he quickly pulled you towards him and said “She’s gonna be my team.”  

You looked at him with a shrug “Your team? for what?” 

Remus, who was close by responded “The teacher said we’ll be working on a team project, Sirius and I are working together, so James was waiting to claim you as his team.” 

“Besides, I really need your help,” James added. 

You frowned, and asked, a little confused “With the project?” 

“No, with Evans!” He whispered.

Realization down on you and you looked at Remus “He didn’t even ask you to be on his team, did he?” 

He shook his head in response, mouthing a “nope.” 

You laughed, “All right then, we’re a team,” you told James “You can ask me all you need when we–“ You cut yourself off “Wait, Remus! I’ve got to tell you something…” 

“All right, if you gave your teams, please take a seat, class will start.” You heard the teacher say. 

“Nevermind,” you  told him as you turned back since James was pulling you into a table near the back “You’re not planning to pay much attention then?” 

“Don’t scorn me like that,” he complained “We’ll pay attention, I just– really need your advice.” 

"In this project, you will embark on a captivating journey to craft your very own magical artifact. Channel your imagination, drawing inspiration from the likes of invisibility cloaks and rememberalls, as you fashion an extraordinary creation of your own making," the teacher commenced, igniting a spark of curiosity among the class, even James, who had been mortified about Lily just minutes earlier was paying attention.

"Each artifact should possess a distinct purpose, serving its intended function with finesse. You will delve into the depths of your creativity, meticulously designing a blueprint that brings your vision to life. Fear not, for guidance shall be provided, I will walk with you every step of the way“ the teacher reassured, yet a chorus of playful groans filled the air in response to the mention of project design papers.

"Ah, I understand your sentiment," the teacher chuckled, acknowledging the students' apprehension. "But worry not! The journey shall be as enchanting as the destination itself. These project design papers will serve as a canvas to weave together the threads of your imagination, showcasing the brilliance of your creation. Embrace the opportunity to bring your ideas to fruition, weaving magic into the tangible realm. Who knows, you may be the next creators to hold the rights to an incredibly useful device that will sell millions.“ With these words, a wave of anticipation and excitement rippled through the classroom, as students began envisioning the magical artifacts they would soon breathe life into.

“Well, that’s an interesting project,” you said as you started writing down some ideas in your notebook. 

“It’s brilliant, we could ask him to help us with the map!” 

“What map?” You asked while raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh… sorry,” he said “I thought for a minute that you– nevermind. You need to help me with Lily.” James had gotten so used to hanging around you and the boys at the same time for a moment he thought you already knew about the Marauders Map. 

You sighed “Of course James. Tell me what happened,” you said, turning to him “but please write some ideas down as you do.” 

He nodded, and started scribbling on his piece of paper “You see, since we kissed back at Marlene’s party–“

“–James that was a game, you can’t be hung up on that.” You interrupted. 

“No, you don’t understand, there was a connection.” 

You rolled your eyes, while you did think Lily maybe had a little bit of a crush on James, you also knew she wasn’t anywhere ready to admit it. Especially with James’ incessant flirting since like 4th year. Marlene had told you about it. “James, it sounds ridiculous. I kissed Remus then too, and I’m not hung up on it.” 

He narrowed his eyes at that “but you seemed to enjoy it.” 

You shrugged “Can’t say he’s a bad kisser.” And Remus is handsome, you thought “But that’s not the point anyway. What happened?” 

“Lily seems more willing to talk to me lately,” he explained.

“Well, that’s lovely, just give her enough space so you don’t make her feel pressured. Be kind and nice… and stuff.” 

“I was thinking of making this very grand gesture on the quidditch–“ 

You shook your head “James Potter,” you warned “If you so much as try something like that you will scare her away. She’s barely realizing she might like you, don’t do THAT!” 

“What did you just say?” 

“Don’t do it!” You insisted.

“No,” he shook his head, “before that.” 

“I said that she’s barely realizing she might have a c… fuck.” 

“You think… You think she likes me?” He asked, in a very small high pitched tone.

“I– wouldn’t go as far as to say that…” he looked so sad, “…yet.” 

“Yet?” He asked, perking up as a surge of excitement ran through his body.

You nodded “I… think she’s warming up to you,” you told him sincerely “Just don’t do anything that could scare her away, please.” 

“Like what?” 

“Like a scary grand gesture for example.” 

The professor walked toward you “Any ideas so far?” He said looking at James’ messy writing. 

James nodded “A confetti cannon that, after using it, leaves confetti wherever you go,” he said, and read another idea “a pair of shoes that make the wearer constantly trip, a teapot that won’t stop whistling, even without any tea on it, and a buble liquid that makes ticklish bubbles.” He said proudly. 

You stared dagger at him and covered his notes with your some parchment “It’s still a work in progress,” you told the teacher with the most charming smile you could muster, “James and I are still looking for better ideas.” 

The professor nodded and kept walking around the classroom. 

“Tripping shoes?” You asked in desbeilif “an ever whistling teapot? Are you for real–“

“–In my defence, I’m not great at multitasking.”

“No shiit Sherlock,” you told him.

“The tripping shoes could be funny tho.”

“Yeah, and the tickling bubbles are useful, for pranks, but Professor Pendragon wants us to invent the next invisibility cloak, I don’t think he’d be too satisfied with any of those options.” 

“What about a ring that’s also an invisibility cloak?” 

You rose your eyebrow at him “You mean like in the Lord of the Rings?” 

“What’s the Lord of the Rings?” 

You gasped, offended, you too had grown on a pure-blood wizard family but at least you knew the Lord of the Rings, “The hobbit?! Does not ring any bells?” He shook his head “It’s a very popular muggle book, you should really brush up on your muggle literature. Perhaps you should have taken muggle studies instead.”

“Hey!” He complained, “Don’t bash me for not being a literature genius like you and Remus.”

“I bet even Sirius would know about The Lord of the Rings.” 

“How much?” 

“10 sickles?” You asked. 

“Oh, I’m really, really sure Sirius won’t know either,” James said “Make it 20.” 

You rose your eyebrow at his challenge and nodded “Deal,” you said raising your hand to shake his, successfully closing the deal. 

“So… the magical ring’s off the table?” 

“No, I… I don’t think it’s a bad idea, maybe we can make a magical ring, just, with different powers instead.” 

“Like…?”

You shrugged in response “We could make two rings that always find each other.” 

“Ohhh, and I could give one to Lily!” James said excitedly, you threw him a look “Like… not now... When we start dating… obviously.” 

“Love the confidence of that statement,” you said with a smile, thinking of how James had used when instead of if. 

He winked “What about a bracelet that lets you communicate with someone else, like a… muggle telephone.” 

“Or a walkie talkie…” you agreed.

“A what?” He asked. 

“You’re joking, right?” 

“I- uh… yeah,” he replied, not confidently at all. 

“Damn it, James, you urgently need some muggle classes.” You said and started drawing a pair of walkie-talkies on the notebook, trying to explain their use, and how they worked, even if you weren’t entirely certain of how they did. “Can’t believe none of you thought it’d be useful to have some of them around. Especially for your pranks.” 

“Yeah, me neither,” he agreed “You know smoke signals aren’t really the most effective.” 

“Surely you didn’t try that,” You said confidently, his expression gave him away “You did?!?” 

He shook his head, letting out a long sigh “We were in detention for days.” 

You chuckled  at that “At least you have the little paper planes now,” you said, remembering the day Remus had sent one to the boys, same day he took you to the lake because you were feeling upset. 

“They’re useful, but they can be intercepted.” He explained, “Not very good for top secret plans.” 

You laughed, of course, James would consider his prank plans worthy of the Top Secret title. “What about a bracelet?” You asked then.

“A magical bracelet? Sounds good, also with walkie-talkie abilities?” 

“Could be more convenient than a ring…” you responded, “Not really sure about it tho."

“What about a pair of glasses that can help you see better in the dark?” He asked, “For those times where you can’t use lumos, maybe you lost your wand, or you wanna be inconspicuous.” 

“Night vision googles, I dig it.” 

“Exactly, but smaller, more practical to carry around.” 

“Well, I guess we’ve got a few solid ideas then,” you said as you started picking up your things, you and James had stayed brainstorming together for a little longer than you realized “Class is over?”

James nodded “Moony and Pads left already,” he said as he looked towards the table your friends had been sitting on, “probably to the great hall, we said we’d eat together.” 

“Peter too?” You asked him, he nodded.

“Wanna join us?” 

You shrugged in response, “though you were planning a prank or something,” you said as you walked towards the door with him by your side. 

He frowned “Why?” 

“All the secretive talks? You’ve been awfully suspicious today.” 

“What? No- that’s… it’s not. We’re not suspicious.” 

You gave him an incredulous look but nodded “No, not at all,” you added sarcastically. 

Once you were in the hall you spotted Remus and Sirius walking ahead of you and remembered you had to tell him about your fireworms so you picked up the pace. You walked behind him, for a minute, but he was so entertained in his conversation with Sirius you decided it’d be funny to tease him, so you extended your arms, and standing in your toes –because Remus was actually pretty tall– you decided to cover his eyes with your palms “Guess who–“ you started, but didn’t even get enough time to finish since Remus practically jumped out of your grasp in seconds, hissing as the silver of your new ring came into contact with his skin. It didn’t leave a mark but it did hurt him like hell. 

Sirius, being quick to figure the new ring you wore had silver on it, looked at you with panic, but you didn’t notice, you were too concerned over Remus’ reaction. “I– I’m sorry Rem, didn’t mean to scare you…” you stammered “I… I was just trying to tease.” James and Sirius finally relaxed when they noticed you’d thought Remus was just scared. 

“It’s ok…” he said with a forced smile as he extended his hand, a safe distance between your ring and himself “I wasn’t expecting you to come up from behind like that.” 

You didn’t seem convinced but nodded, concern still evident on your face. “I uhh… I was trying to catch up to actually,” You finally changed the subject. James had gotten in between you and Remus as you walked, so you leaned a little towards the front to see your friend better “It’s about our fireworms, they’re already breathing fire.” 

“What? I thought they wouldn’t do it until they were like a month old,” said Sirius. 

“Exactly!” You nodded excitedly “They weren’t, our caring must have been phenomenal. Our babies are overachievers.” 

“You’re keeping them together?” James asked. 

You nodded “Co-parenting,” you paused “We split tasks and that way we make sure we don’t burn down the school by accident.” 

Remus nodded in agreement “It’s easy to remember to feed them when it’s only a couple times a week instead of every single day.” 

“And we found an excellent spot to keep them too, away from stress and anything that could make them nervous.” 

“Well, the overachievers are not the worms,” Sirius said giving you and Remus a look. 

James agreed “We just gave ours to Peter, in exchange for some other homework.” 

“By the way (Y/N), mind taking care of them tomorrow too?” Remus asked politely.

“Sure thing,” you said, not thinking much of it. 

You had your lunch with the boys, the girls and Peter joined you a bit later and you all walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts together. Professor Nightshade was elegantly leaning on her desk when you arrived at her classroom. She looked a little tense. Like she wasn’t too excited about the class to come. 

Once most students were inside she shut the door with a wave of her wand “Today we will be going through the unforgivable curses.” She said, looking rather dejected “and while is not of my favourite classes to teach, we must delve into the subject, especially in dark times like these in which you might need to defend yourselves from one of them.” 

The entire class was silent, everyone was paying attention to every single one of her words. It wasn’t uncommon to hear about the war, it was on the paper every single day, but most students chose to avoid and ignore the subject, so even if the war was going on, it was outside, Hogwarts was safe. But being confronted with it, so upfront, felt, well, it felt eerie and scary. 

“Can someone name the unforgivable curses?” She asked. 

Lily raised her hand “The кilling course, Imperius curse and…” 

“The cruciatus curse,” Finished Sirius with a heavy breath. 

“Correct!” Seraphina said, “10 points for Gryffindor… Indeed those are the three unforgivable curses, and they are unforgivable because…”

“Because they violate the rights of whoever is being cursed by them,” you responded. 

“Can any of them be avoided?” 

You shook your head “Only very experienced wizards can resist Imperio.” 

“And countered?” 

“Physical barriers might block some of the curses, but there is no known spell that can do such a thing.” Said Remus. 

“No one has ever survived a кilling course either,” Imogen Potts added.  

“Seems like you’ve been doing all the readings accordingly,” the teacher said satisfied “Now, you know the theory, but today we will have a small demonstration.” The students gasped, but Seraphina nodded heavily “You must know what you’re up against,” she pulled out a box and opened it, a butterfly flew out of it, about the size of your palm. Seraphina let the small insect fly freely for a minute before pointing her wand straight at her and whispering “Imperio.”  

The butterfly started flying around, making circles around the class before landing on Marlene’s nose. She was sitting beside you, so you looked at her in awe as the butterfly batted its wings softly near her face. But then Seraphina changed the course, whispering “Cruicio.” The butterfly fell from Marlene’s nose and onto your table, right next to your book as it batted its wings helplessly. You looked at it with concern, Seraphina herself looked mortified as she inflicted pain on the small creature.

You gave her an imploring look, and that was all it took for her to stop. The small butterfly was released from the pain and started flying all around the classroom, desperately looking to get away from the place. Once the butterfly was close enough to her, she whispered the last curse and after a green flash came from her wand, the butterfly stopped flying, slowly falling to the ground, like a leaf from a tree. 

The whole classroom was quiet. You stood up and carefully picked up the small butterfly from the floor. Looking at it pitifully as you handed it over to Seraphina, who held the box out for you to place it inside. “As you’ve seen, these curses are not only lethal but terrifying as well. There is a reason why, whoever dares to infringe them, will never be forgiven.” 

“They will go to Azkaban,” whispered Peter. 

“What a pitiful destiny,” agreed Sirius. 

Professor Nightshade sighed heavily “I think this is enough for today, you may go.”

Students nodded and started placing their things into their backpacks. When you stood up, you walked towards her “I want to be in the duelling club.” You told her “I… I don’t want to end up like the butterfly.” 

Seraphina looked at you, a sorrowful look in her eyes, she understood the implications of what you’d said. She knew how heavy your statement was. And she nodded “Of course darling, you’ll be a brilliant addition to the club.” 

You nodded, satisfied and finally caught up with your friends. You went straight to Lily “At what time must we go get the fluxweed?” You asked. 

“It’s supposed to be when the moon it’s at its highest point,” she told you “I checked the astronomy section of the paper in the morning, apparently at around 11:30 pm.” 

“All right, we can totally hang out together till then, right? Do you have any plans?” 

She shook her head “We had study club, but we cancelled it today, I was thinking of maybe going to the library to get some stuff and then studying or just chilling back at the common room.” 

“It’s settled then,” you told her with a smile, walking alongside her towards the library. Since you had already finished most of your assignments you decided to walk through the long bookshelf to see if you found anything that caught your eye, while Lily looked for some more specific books. And as you walked over the edge of one of the bookshelves you bumped into Nina, the small Ravenclaw girl from the study grup that had a crush on Remus. “Hey love,” you said politely. 

“Hi,” she replied quietly. To be fair, Nina really wanted to dislike you when she first encountered you. She was jealous of how close you and Remus had gotten in such a short period of time, but you had always treated her with kindness, genuinely willing to help her, if she had any questions, or needed help with a particular spell; that, in the end, she couldn’t help but like you instead. In fact, she’d go as far as to say she admired you. She’d seen you practicing spells and she even went to one of the quidditch trainings, with the intention to ogle at Remus who had gone too, but she was far too entranced by you when you were flying that she almost completely forgot about her original reason for going. 

“You looking for Rem?” You asked her politely. 

She shook her head “He cancels study sessions at least once every couple of weeks,” she told you “Originally, only Lily held the sessions by herself but she got very stressed without him to help her with the younger students, so they decided it was best to cancel them altogether.” Remus cancelled them? You thought, that’s odd. “What about you? Are you looking for a book in particular?” 

You shook your head “Just something to entertain me while I hang out with Lily.” 

“Oh, I think I can help you with that,” she said with a smile, bringing her backpack in front of her and opening the zipper “I actually got my hands on this book out last week, I read it in days, it’s about a werewolf who falls in love with a wizard.” she explained “It’s not very accurate with the actual nature of werewolves, but the key points are there. It’s a very fun romantic novel If you’re into that kind of stuff.” She said taking a book out of her bag and placing it on the table. “Oh and this one,” she grabbed a smaller book “It’s filled with simple yet practical spells that we don’t have in the curriculum, such as ways to fix glasses and open locks. It’s fantastic if you want something a bit more educational.” 

You looked at her with a smile “These are fantastic Nina, thank you!” You said with genuine excitement.

She smiled at you, blushing just a little at your reaction “It’s nothing. I’m– I really like books,” she told you with a smile “If you ever need new recommendations, I’m down.” 

You smiled at her “You’re the best!” You told her picking the books up from where she left them “It was lovely seeing you.” 

She nodded, and was about to say something when Lily showed up, looking for you “I’ve got the books, ready to go?” She asked, and then noticed you weren’t alone “Oh, hey Nina! What’s up?” 

“She lent me a couple of books,” you said, raising the books you held in between your arms so Lily would notice.

Lily nodded “Oh, Nina is really good at picking out books, trust me.” Lily said, “Mind if I take (Y/N) with me now?” 

Nina shook her head “We were just doing some small talk.” She said, with a bit of a blush as both you and Lily waved your goodbyes. 

As you walked outside the library Lily gave you a look “So… you’re friends with Nina now?” 

You shrugged “She’s pretty nice actually. I don’t know when it happened, but she stopped hating me over Remus, and now she’s really kind, she even recommended books!” 

“You probably just charmed her with your personality and looks, like you did with pretty much everyone,” Lily teased with a smile. 

“Oi, shut up Evans, you’re probably more charming than I am,” you said nudging her in a friendly manner. She nudged you back and the two of you walked together towards the common room, chatting about your due assignments, and your favourite books. Since Lily was a muggle-born, she knew even more about muggle books than you, and it was fun hearing about all of them, from her favourites to those she didn’t like all that much.

Once you arrived at the common room you both found a comfortable place, she sat on the small round table by the stairs and you went straight for one of the couches, letting yourself comfortably lay on it while opening your backpack to pick one of the books Nina had recommended, you grabbed each on one hand, staring at the covers, trying to decide which one to go for first. After weighing both of them in your head, you decided to read the spell book and leave the romance novel on the side table. 

Nina hadn’t been lying, the book was indeed practical, and you tried casting some of the most complicated or useful spells as you read, practicing the wand movements and incantations as Lily focused on her homework.

At some point Mary and Marlene went in, they were giggling about something that happened so you decided to leave your book next to the others and join their conversation. 

“Oh my god, (Y/N)! You won’t believe what happened.” Mary said. 

You smiled “Oh, do tell” 

“We were talking to Moaning Myrtle, she said she overheard Holden talk about Marlene with some other boys, that she was an incredible beater and stuff.” 

“Really?” You said smiling wider “I mean, no doubt, she’s amazing!  But he said that?”

Mary nodded “According to Myrtle, that is… She also said some boys have been saying you’re part Veela because of your charm, be careful they may try and throw you into the water to see if you’re a good swimmer.” 

You laughed at that, you were a good swimmer, but they couldn’t have been more off with their guesses. “So… what are you waiting for Mars? You have to make your move!” 

“Make my move?” She gasped. 

You nodded “Well, at the party you seemed pretty close, admit you like him or–”

“–Kiss him unexpectedly,” completed Mary. 

“Yeah, that too.” You nodded.

“Well…” Marlene said taking a deep breath “I’m thinking I could– I wanted to invite him to Hogsmeade over the weekend, actually.” 

“That’s brilliant!” You told her “Isn’t that tomorrow?”

She nodded in response “You coming too? I heard Sirius and James mention they wanted to show you around.” 

“They haven’t told me anything about it, but I guess I’ll tag along with ya’ll anyway.”

At that point Lily stood up from her place and stretched, yawning softly “What time is it?”  

“10:30,” answered Marlene after looking at her wrist watch “You done?”

She nodded “But we have to stay up for at least an hour,” Lily complained.

“Why?” Mary asked. 

“We’re going to harvest some fluxweed,” you responded instead. 

“Oh… because it’s full moon,” Marlene acknowledged. 

You nodded “When are you getting yours?” 

“Marlene ordered them from a fancy potion supply store.” 

“That was allowed?” you asked, surprised.

Marlene shrugged “Not sure, but I highly doubt Slughorn will find out, if anything, we can say we picked them out with you.”

“Sure,” Lily said, sitting down on the sofa next to you, placing your feet on top offer lap to make some space. You made a move to bring your feet down but she shook her head “It’s alright, rest up, you’ve been awake since like 5 am, haven’t you?” You nodded, letting your feet on to lay over her lap “You should just tell James to screw off and sleep in, I can tell you’re not a morning person.” 

You laughed “I wish, but I want to be in top shape for the game and… to be honest, I’m still getting used to my new broom, that’s why I’ve been flying every morning.” Out of nowhere, a pillow was thrown towards your face “Oi, what was that for?” You asked looking at Marlene, who’d been responsible for it. 

“Show off,” she said “I need time to practice with my new broom,” she teased “and then she goes and flies like a professional every single damn time.” You opened your mouth to try to speak but closed it soon after, Marlene continued talking “James has been making the training even tougher so we keep up with her.” 

“Sorry,” you said then “I guess I just really like flying.” After all, it’s in my blood, you thought. You wondered if you’d ever trust them enough to tell them about it, the answer was pretty simple, you already did, and you wanted to, but you knew how dangerous it was.

You stayed talking with the girls for a while, Marlene told you about the time she got on the quidditch team, Lily talked about being exceptionally good at potions and being invited to an exclusive party with Slughorn and Mary told you about the private classes she had been taking with Madam Pomfrey, about all the new potions and spells she had learned. 

“It’s finally 11,” said Lily when Mars finished the story about the worst date she had gone on, she’d been invited to a magical restaurant, that had been jinxed by an angry customer the previous day, it had been absolute mayhem. 

You stood up, stretching yourself “We should probably get going,” you said with a smile. She nodded and picked her backpack up, taking out a piece of paper and handing it over. You looked at her puzzled.

“It’s a nigh pass, I asked McGonagall for it,” she told you “We can go out and Filnch won’t say a thing.” 

“Oh nice,” you said looking at the paper, boy, how easy would it be to make duplicates of it, with different dates. “Shall we?” You asked tilting your head towards the door. She nodded and the two of you walked towards the portrait of the fat lady. 

“Good luck girls!” You heard Marlene shout from behind.

“Yeah, we’ll be back in the bedroom.”

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

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Raead more Marauders Fiction

[saturnville]

in the dirty south, III.

pairing: cowboy!coriolanus snow x black fem oc. warnings: old slang, sexual innuendo, flirting, sorta forbidden infatuation if you blink. shy!oc. content: while at a town fair with her family, delilah finds herself heavily infatuated with the new face in town. an: last part! I just realized I was heavily inspired by Romeo and Juliet when I wrote this (in the sense of immediate connection with someone).

tags: @snowlandsontopp @babyzzlove @hlstead @rosewine-5 @unicornqueen05 @thegabbyh @neeville @fastlikealambo @urfavesim @cherry2stems to keep your spot on the tag list, you are expected to interact!

The night draped itself over the small town, casting veil of darkness upon the fairgrounds. A myriad of colored lights twinkled above, painting the scene in hues of red, blue, and gold. The once lively fair had transformed into a dreamscape, a place where reality and enchantment danced together.

Delilah stood at the edge of the fairgrounds, where the glow from the string lights met the shadows. The rhythmic laughter and distant carnival music were the background symphony to her contemplative thoughts. She couldn't shake the lingering sensations from the day—the warmth of the sun, the taste of poundcake, and the unexpected connection with Coriolanus.

Just as most young women her age, Delilah dreamed of experiencing an instant connection with someone. She longed to bask in the serenity of adoration that came from another. To be cloaked in desire was a wish of hers, and as the nightsky blanketed the sun, and the stars made an appearance, she knew that her wishes were grant.

In the midst of a sea of people, she spotted him. Coriolanus. A solitary figure, his silhouette etched against the radiant backdrop of the fair. A sense of anticipation filled the air as he turned, his gaze meeting hers. A subtle smile played on his lips, and he gestured for her to join him in the dance of shadows and light.

With a deep breath, Delilah stepped into the enchantment of the fair once more, the echoes of laughter and the distant melodies guiding her toward an unforeseen future.

Delilah's voice was soft as she muttered her pardons to the strangers who were engrossed in carnival games and deep conversations. The aroma was thick with beer, ice cream, and apple pie. As she approached Coriolanus, the bustle of the night seemed to quiet.

"Quite a sight, ain't it?" Coriolanus asked, his eyes trained on the artwork etched in the sky. His voice was filled with warmth, and Delilah couldn't help but to smile in agreement.

"It is." The stars were beautiful. The stage was big enough for them to dance without their shine being stolen or dimmed by another.

Coriolanus extended his hand, inviting her to join him in exploring the fair's wonders. As their fingers intertwined, Delilah felt a surge between them, a connection forged in the shared moments of the day.

They strolled through the fairgrounds, exploring pockets of quietude between the lively attractions. The game of ring toss to their left, and the stage with a blues band on their right.

Amidst the whimsical glow of the fair, they found a secluded bench. Coriolanus pulled Delilah closer, and they sat in a comfortable silence, watching the flickering lights and the shadows they cast.

"Delilah," Coriolanus began, his voice carrying a sincerity that echoed in the quiet night. "I wasn't planning on staying in 11."

Delilah turned to him, curiosity etched in her expression. She looked so stunning beneath the rays of the moonlight. Her lipstick was long gone and only a faint tint of red remained on her full lips. A thin layer of sweat adorned her forehead and loose curls stuck to her face. Breathtaking, he had to admit.

The night seemed to hold its breath as Coriolanus continued.

"I found something unexpected—someone unexpected," he confessed, his gaze steady. He sighed softly and caressed her bare shoulder with his thumb. "I was granted the option to go back to the Capitol within six weeks. I'd been spending time with the boys 'cause I made up in my mind that I was leaving. Until today. Until you and I crossed paths."

Delilah felt a rush of emotions, a mixture of surprise and joy. The carnival around them seemed to celebrate their connection, the lights flickering in unison with the beating of their hearts.

The revelation hung in the air. Coriolanus's words lingered, and Delilah found herself momentarily lost in the depth of his gaze. He had decided to stay—his path no longer leading him away from District 11 but winding through its fields, its people, and, unexpectedly, into her life.

Delilah blinked.. Her eyes traced the contours of Coriolanus's face, searching for any signs that this might be a jest or a fleeting decision. Yet, sincerity lingered in his expression.

"You're staying?" Delilah whispered, a mixture of surprise and curiosity coloring her words. The thought of him becoming a constant in her small town, a familiar face amidst the fields, stirred something within her—a quiet joy that unfolded like the blossoming of a rose.

District 11 was overlooked often. It was the last place anyone would consider finding something they'd been searching for. Except Coriolanus. He found exactly what he longed for. Away from the gltiz and the glam of the Capitol. In a town where everyone felt like family, where the was warmth in every smile, where not everything was a competition of wealth and fame. Life in 11 was simple. He enjoyed simplicity.

"I am," Coriolanus nodded. "Can't lose the opportunity of getting to know the prettiest woman in town. But again, that's only if you let me."

There is was. That charm. The corners of Delilah's lips tugged upward to a smile. Slowly, she brought her lips to his cheek, taking note of how they reddened like the beets in her Mama's garden. "I'd like that."

She rested her head on his shoulder and together, they embraced the radiant glow of the fairgrounds, that had witnessed the birth of an unexpected union.

[simsstuph]

Delilah: I can't believe you've never had one of these.

Jack gags: It's gross. (laughs)

Delilah rolls her eyes: You're such a big baby.

Jack: I can't believe people pay 7 bucks for this crap. So this is the town you grew up in huh?

Delilah: Yeah, this is home. (sighs) or was..

Jack; C'mon now Chestnut ridge ain't so bad. I live there.

Delilah laid her head on his shoulder and sipped her drink again.

Jack: I saw you and Owen talkin' last night, how'd that go?

Delilah shrugged: Wish I could tell you, don't remember anything.

Jack hugged her: You were pretty wasted.

Delilah groaned: This headache is reminder enough, thanks.

Jack: Good Lord the people here are pretty.

Delilah glanced around still fiddling with her straw.

Jack: Bet they love themselves a good ole' country boy like me.

Delilah: You are sucha Don Lothario.

Jack: A Whose-A-Whats-A?

Delilah laughed; Never mind, someone from one of my favorite books of all time.

????: Delilah?

Delilah turned around quickly: Dan...

Dan hesitantly: H-How ya been?

Delilah: Fine. Thanks.

Dan: It's been a while--

Delilah: Let's keep it that way.

Dan: Right... Sorry... I... I'm just sorry.

Dan rushed off quickly. She hadn't given Dan a thought since her fight with Owen when everything came to light.

Jack watched the quick encounter: Who in the heck was that?

Delilah brushed it off: No one. Let's just go, I wanna show you my old house.

They spent the rest of the afternoon touring her old neighborhood and stopped to visit the cemetery and leave fresh flowers for Lili.

[nuggeett875]

Unbroken Promises-Derek Hale

“Dude, that was Derek Hale! You remember right? He’s only a few years older than us.”

“Remember what?” 

“His family. They burned to death in a fire like, 4 years ago.”

“I wonder what he’s doing back…” 

…………………………………………….

“Isaac let’s go we have to meet somebody.” Derek called to Isaac who was upstairs in his room. 

Isaac made his way down the staris confused as to where they were going. “Is it a new pack member?” He asked while he threw on his jacket. “No.”

“Is it Scott?” Again Derek replied the same, “No.” They rode down the elevator both leaning against the back wall. “Are you going to tell me who it is before we get there?” 

Derek smiled and looked at him before walking through the open elevator doors, “No.” 

Isaac groaned and got in Derek’s camero and started watching the scenery as they drove to this mysterious place. 

When they came to a stop, around 35 minutes later, Isaac looked up and saw a small diner in front of them, “This? This is the place we needed to come to? Who are we possibly meeting here?” 

Derek stayed silent as he opened his door and started walking towards the entrance.

……………………………

Inside the diner a young woman was walking around dropping orders at different tables. “What can I get you two?” Delilah asked the two kids sitting at the counter next to their grandmother. “Cake!” They both screamed out.

Delilah went to respond before hearing the doorbell ring, she walked over to the front counter area, “Hi I’ll be right with…you?” She looked up and froze when she saw the face of Derek Hale. The last person she ever expected to see. 

“Hey Del.” Derek said with a small smile. Isaac went to step forward but Derek held his hand out keeping him at a distance from the woman. “Careful.” 

Isaac chuckled, “Of her? What’s the big dea-” He was cut off by a piece of bread hitting the side of his face. 

“Get out!” Delilah yelled as she continued to throw the objects closer to her at Derek. Isaac at this point had stepped away and went to sit in a far booth. Derek dodged the food making no attempt to stop her until she ran out of edible items and reached for a glass bowl next to her. 

“Hey, hey please. I know you don’t want to see me but I need your help. Please Del.” Derek approached her, carefully, and now stood across from her seperated by the counter. “Do not, call me that Derek Hale. Why the hell are you here?” 

Derek’s head dropped, he had missed her voice. Even if it was the one that was upset and close to cursing him out, he wished he could hear it all day. “Delilah, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need to be. I’m not trying to hurt you, the kid behind me, Isaac, he needs your help too.” 

Delilah released her grip on the glass and looked over Derek’s shoulder at the teenager, “Now, now you need me? What about when I needed you Derek. I tried to help you before but you left. I was there for you when your family died and you left me. No calls, no texts, nothing. But now you’re asking me for help? Get out Derek and don’t come back. Please.”

As she said ‘please’ Derek could hear her voice crack and could tell she was on the verge of tears. He nodded afraid that if he tried to speak, he himself, would cry. 

Derek turned around and motioned for Isaac to follow him as he made his way out the door and to his car.

…………………..

“I’m sorry about that.” Delilah said walking back over to the 3 at the opposite end of the counter. “And are you planning to start work at all today? You’re not retired yet mom.” The grandmother of the two, Jane, sighed and stood up before making her way around the counter.

“Well excuse me for wanting to spend some time with my grandbabies. Who was that by the way?” She asked throwing in apron on. “Just, an old friend.” Delilah said before walking over to her twins. “And for you two,” She messed up their hair-Eli and Taliah-laughing.

“Who said you could get cake at this time?” Delilah was moved over by her mother who placed two slices of cake down in front of the 4 year olds. “I did. Now hush and get back to work. Mr.Johnson’s ready for his check.” 

Delilah nodded and kissed her kids heads before walking away, thoughts rambling around in her head. 

Why was Derek here? Why now? She couldn’t begin to explain the pain of wanting to run into his arms and knowing she should stay away. After all, he left her, and even thought she wanted to pretend she didn’t love him anymore, she couldn’t. How could she, he was her first boyfriend, her first love, her first everything.

And the father of her children. 

[kraekat29]

Suburban Legends- Chapter Twenty

Once everyone arrived home JJ and Ruby took a shower, cleaning the smell of the hospital off themselves.

While JJ got dressed Ruby called Heyward, thanking him for taking care of the twins and asking if he could watch them for another day.

It was better this way, she didn’t know what this guy wanted, at least she could rest knowing Dallas and Delilah would be safe.

Ruby sighed and looked over at JJ, him giving her a sympathetic smile, she knew he wasn’t happy about this either, but it was the best way to keep the twins out of harms way.

She followed him into the study where everyone else was, leaning her cheek against his bicep.

“Were you able to get the amulet translated?” Pope asked, “yeah, it says ‘where the living and dead collide, the gatekeeper will guide the way’” John B said and showed him the inscription.

“whatever that means..” Ruby muttered, leaning further against JJ, “it could be connected to whatever they’re looking for?” Sarah said.

“Yeah- yeah I heard the guy on the pier, he said something about a blue- a blue crown” Pope recalled.

“A blue crown? What does that even mean?” Kiara asked, everyone beginning to argue as John B got up and grabbed a book.

They argued amongst themselves before John B snapped them out of it, placing the book on the table, “it’s only the most sought out artifact in the word” he said and shared a look with Ruby, thank god for Big John being obsessed with treasure.

“So your dad was after this too?” Pope asked, “no. Some stuff he was just a big history buff about” Ruby said, leaning over John B’s shoulder to look.

Her eyes scanned the pages as John B read allowed, whoever wore the crown gets granted immortality and a wish, it has been around for centuries and is believed that Blackbeard melted it down.

But another theory is that it got hidden somewhere, all the information was starting to hurt her head so she looked away.

“A priceless artifact” JJ said, a hint of happiness in his tone as he pulled her against his side, “JJ” Ruby said in a warning tone, “I mean.. five hundred grand or priceless?” He asked.

“I think we know our answer” John B said, “woo! Let’s do it! Back in the game baby!” JJ cheered, already taking Ruby by the hand for a beer run.

They sat in her truck, Ruby in the middle seat with JJ’s arm around her as he drove, a feeling of unease settling deep in her stomach.

“just.. promise me something..?” She asked, turning her head to look up at him, “anything” He replied without missing a beat.

“you aren’t allowed to leave me okay..? I can’t lose you..” Ruby said quietly, the muscle in JJ’s jaw ticked as he knew exactly what she meant.

He knew he couldn’t promise her that, fate wasn’t in his hands, and frankly it was never in his favor, her and the twins were the only good things he had in his life besides the pogues.

JJ plastered on a fake but reassuring smile, squeezing her against his side and kissing the top of her head as he uttered the biggest lie that was once the truth.

“I promise baby. It’s you and me forever”

[bookwermthings]

Steam Powered Giraffe Frantic Fanfic!!

Yesterday I wrote six fanfics with @calmedgoose-blog and @prettiest-ghoul-at-the-party ! Here are the two I started. (Well, one of them, my beginning got accidentally deleted :( but still)

Fanfic One

TITLE: The Muse and The masterpiece sit down for drinks

FEATURING THE CHARACTERS: delilah moreo, rabbit

WRITERS: bookwerm, summer, goose! RATED ALL AGES

Delilah Morreo and Rabbit were sitting at a table. Rabbit sighed.

"I don't know what to say," she said. "I never thought that I'd meet the woman my original design was supposed to be modeled after."

"And I never thought that I would get to meet robots built by the man obsessed with me. Color us both surprised!"

Delilah's pale undead hand picked up the glass and downed it. Rabbit had been surprised she could still drink things.

--------------------

Taking a moment to assess the somehow living woman in front of her, Rabbit sighed yet again.

"What... what was he like to you?"

Delilah looked up, somewhat shocked, before shrugging and fidgeting with the stem of her glass.

"As you know, he was an inventor. He was... kind, but he let science get in the way of feelings. Although, I can't say much, I did the same thing rather often! That was just how it was there..."

Rabbit nodded, reminiscing on those times where he had pushed her to the side, not fixing her properly so he could deal with some other experiment.

"I'm not surprised."

She said with an unhumorous chuckle.

--------------------

Delilah noticed her slight upset, quickly trying to comfort her

"Hey, but that led to him creating you!", her attempt to reassure the robot with a smile was in vain.

"Just wish he had done it properly...", Rabbit mumbled and fidgeted with her thumbs.

"I.. don't understand.." Delilah was confused but tried her best to be empathetic.

"I wasn't always.. this way. Six fixed me. I was always supposed to be pretty.. just like you. Papa never finished me.",

Rabbit looked down at the table. Delilah was at a loss.

Fanfic created with #FranticFanfic

Fanfic Two

TITLE: fishing in the clouds

FEATURING THE CHARACTERS: hatchworth, airheart

WRITERS: bookwerm, summer, goose!

RATED ALL AGES

*

--------------------

HELP WHY ISNT THERE A BEGINNING

Hatchworth took a blue portal up into the sky, out of curiosity. He landed amongst the clouds, but... he was a robot. He can't land against the clouds, he's made of metal and clouds are water vapor! Until he realized, he didn't land amongst the clouds at all. He was caught, by someone he had only heard about in stories.

"... Miss Lily? I mean, uh, Miss Airheart?" He asked, shocked.

She laughed, whirring along the sky. "Just Lily is fine. And who are you, little... robot man?"

"Hatchworth, at your service! Normally I say that after arriving to someone's doorstep in a human sized package, but I guess taking a portal into the clouds works too from time to time! Um... I didn't know you were real."

Lily laughed again, nodding. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Some band made a song about me since their dad knew my dad I guess... I'm guessing you're a fan of theirs?"

Hatchworth bristled at the comment. "Not at all! That is, I'm not a fan because I... well, I'm in the band. Or at least I was. But I'm looking for better ventures now! I've been a goldfisher."

He stated matter-of-factly, as if lying to her about what he's been up to is more important than telling someone about his time traveling.

--------------------

"A... goldfisher?" Lily responded giving him a rather curious look.

"Yes, Ma'am", Hatchworth nodded excitedly.

"And what exactly does that entail..?" Lily chuckled softly.

"Well.. Well..." Hatchworth hadn't exactly thought that far. "Goldfishing?"

Lily let out a gentle laugh.

"Right, how silly of me to ask.." Lily then thought for a moment. "But how did goldfishing get you all the way up here..?" Hatchworth thought for a moment

"Magical goldfish?" He responded

"You don't seem so sure.." Lily raised an eyebrow

"Well, okay, I'm a time traveler, but you have to promise not to tell anyone"

She promptly dropped him out of surprise.

Fanfic created with #FranticFanfic.

[specialagentlokitty]

Thomas Barrow x Male!reader - it all lines up

I love your writing ❤️ could we have part three of trans female to male Reader having the baby and when Thomas comes back he sees his beloved and their little baby girl? Just a cute fluffy ending with the two discussing about what they should be called when their daughter gets older. - Anon💜

Part three:

Before you could give birth, Thomas had to gone to war, and though you were worried, you knew you had to focus on the little girl.

Delilah.

That’s what Thomas wanted to name her, why you had no idea but he insisted on it.

And you loved the name.

Little Delilah Barrow.

It was beautiful.

And you were sad your husband couldn’t be with you to watch her grow, but you had hope that he would come back safe and sound.

And you told Delilah all about her papa, what he was like, what he looked like, everything.

You only had one photo of him, and you kept it in her room.

You enjoyed wondering around your own home in suits, wearing Thomas’ shirts and jackets even though they were slightly too big for you.

You loved it.

But during the day you wore a dress in case anyone stopped by, just like today when Anna had come to pay you a visit.

“We all miss you.” She said.

You smiled a little.

“I miss you all as well, I wish I could come back.”

“You could visit.” She smiled.

You laughed a little, shaking your head and pointing to the little girl who was toddling about your kitchen, stomping her feet and giggling.

“She’ll have anything she can reach believe me, it’s hard enough keeping her away from things here let alone his lordships belongings.”

“May I?”

You nodded and Anna swept the toddler into her arms.

Delilah giggled, and Anna laughed as well, smiling brightly.

“Come on, just a quick visit, I’m sure I can help you keep eye on the little trouble maker.”

You sighed and nodded your head at her.

“Alright, alright give me some time to change.”

You rushed away to change into some more female appropriate clothing, sorting your hair to look more woman like so you wouldn’t get strange looks.

You hated this.

Because every time you looked into your mirror you couldn’t see yourself, you saw a stranger, but it had to be done for your own safety.

Walking back to the kitchen, you took Delilah’s jacket and yours.

“Is the house not being converted to a place for officers?” You asked.

“No, no it is. But the people are not coming until tomorrow.”

You nodded your head, picked up your daughter, putting her in her jacket and tossing yours on before you held her hand.

“Do you want to go for a walk sweetheart?” You asked softly.

“Walk! Walk!” She cheered.

“Oh how adorable! She can talk?!”

“Only a few words. Namely the words of things she likes.”

Anna laughed and you both took a very slow walk up the Downton, making your way through the back.

Picking up Delilah you held her gently as you wondered into the kitchen to hear Mrs Patmore barking out orders.

“You have not changed a bit have you Mrs Patmore?”

“Oh (Y/N)!”

She spun around and rushed over to you, ushered you into the servants hall.

You sat down, settling Delilah in your lap and handed her the toy you brought with you.

“Aw she looks like a little you!” Daisy gushed.

“She does. She has my hair but his eyes.” You smiled.

You kissed the top of your daughters head, smoothing down her (H/C) hair. Her little grey eyes peering around at everything.

“Walk!”

“We���ve just been for a walk.”

“Walk!” She cheered.

Everyone laughed and you stood up, holding her hand in yours as she walked around, not really paying much attention to anyone else.

Delilah stopped and looked up at you.

“Papa?”

“Would you like to see him?”

She nodded and you reached into your pocket, pulling out his photo and you gave it to her and she walked over to Mrs Hughes who had rushed in.

“Oh hello my sweet darling.” She smiled.

Delilah held the photo up.

“Papa.”

“That is your papa you’re so smart.”

Delilah reached up, making grabby hands at the head house maid and she smiled, sweeping her up from the floor.

“Mrs Patmore, his lordship has requested dinner to be served in half hour. Anna her ladyship is asking for you.”

“Right thank you.” Anna said.

She quickly left and so did Mrs Patmore and Daisy.

“Where’s Mr Carson?” You asked.

“With his lordship, would you perhaps like to say hello?”

“I would.” You smiled.

You were led up the stairs and to the library.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion my lord, but a visitor has requested to see you and Mr Carson.”

“I’m not expecting any visitors.”

You stepped in and Mrs Hughes stepped fully into the door to show the baby.

“Oh (Y/N) what a wonderful surprise, how are you?”

“I’m well my lord, thank you. How are you doing with everything?”

“Could be better, but I am in no position to complain. Is this little Delilah?”

“Yes my lord.”

He nodded his head and smiled at her.

“My she has grown.” Mr Carson whispered.

He reached out a hand and Delilah grabbed his finger tightly making him smile.

“Go on Carson, have some time to catch up, I won’t be needing you until dinner.”

“Thank you my lord.”

You took Delilah from Anna and looked to Lord Grantham.

“My Lord May I ask something?”

“Of course what is it (Y/N)?”

“Have you… heard anything of Thomas…?”

Lord Grantham looked behind you before turning to you.

“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright, thank you my lord.”

Taking your daughter, you went back down the stairs to catch up with everybody.

You spent maybe an hour or two taking until Lord Grantham came in and everybody stood in.

“Do you mind coming to show everybody your daughter? They are all so excited to meet her.”

“Of course not my Lord.” You smiled.

“Walk!”

“Yes sweetheart we’re going for a walk.”

You took her hand and carefully led her up the stairs to the grand hall in the front of the house where the Crowley family were stood waiting.

“Oh she’s so little!” Lady Sybil gasped.

You knelt down, sitting on your knees you looked at Delilah.

“Can you say hi?” You whispered.

She looked at Lady Sybil who had knelt down in front of her as well.

“Hi!”

“Hi!” Lady Sybil beamed.

“Hi!” Delilah smiled.

Everyone laughed and Lady Sybil gestured to the little girl and you nodded, letting her be swept up and carried around to meet everyone.

“I never thought Thomas could have such a cute baby.” Lady Cora laughed.

You laughed.

“Me neither, but apparently for a moody man, his children make up for that my lady.”

She smiled.

“You miss him dearly, don’t you?”

“I do my lady, but I know he serves his country well.”

“That he does, just like all the men out there.”

You nodded your head.

Delilah was giggling away, and she walked over to Lady Mary who looked down at her.

“Hi!”

“Hello.” Lady Mary smiled.

Delilah ran back over to you.

“Papa?”

“Here.”

You handed her the photo again and she ran away with it to show Lady Mary.

“Papa!”

“Is this your papa?” She asked.

Delilah nodded her head and sat on the floor, setting the picture down as she looked at it with a smile.

“Do you mind waiting here for one moment?” Lady Cora asked.

“Of course not my lady.”

She smiled and her and Lord Grantham left, and you walked over to Delilah and you let her lean back on her legs.

“Can you say Edith? Lady Edith?”

“Oh Edith she’s a baby.” Lady Sybil asked.

“Well I want her to know me first!”

They kept encouraging your daughter to say their names and Delilah giggled away at them.

“(Y/N)?” Lord Grantham asked.

You turned around to see all the servants lined up in the hallway, and at the end of the hallway was a face you hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Thomas…”

You picked up the bottom of your dress and ran to him, and he met you halfway, hugging you tightly and everybody clapped and cheered.

Thomas pressed his face into your neck, and you buried yours into his chest.

Tears fell from your eyes and you pulled away, hitting his chest lightly.

“Why did you not come see me?”

“I was going to this evening, but apparently you beat me too it.” He smiled.

Thomas leant down, kissing you softly and you eagerly kissed him back, missing your husband.

When he pulled away he looked behind you.

“Oh she’s so big…” he whispered.

You took his arm and led him over, both of your kneeling down.

“Delilah?” He asked softly.

She looked up at him, gripping the picture in her little hands.

“Hello sweet girl…” he whispered.

“Papa!”

Delilah let go of the photo and stood up, throwing herself into his arms and he laughed, picking her up to hold her.

Thomas had never dreamt himself as a man with a child, no since he was a homosexual, but he would never trade his daughter for the word.

You smiled at them both and put the photo back into your pocket.

“Can you come home…?”

“I can, I’ve been dismissed for the evening.”

He stood up, holding his daughter and he helped you up.

“Thank you my lady, my lord.” You smiled.

“You have nothing to thank us for. Go home, spend some time together.” Lady Cora smiled.

You thanked them all again and excused yourself and they had Brandon drive you three back to the house.

When you were inside, you went to change into a suit while Thomas wondered about in his uniform listening to Delilah babbling away to herself.

Coming back in, you smiled at the both of them, and then you saw the glove on his hand.

“What happened?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

You frowned a little and he set Delilah down and she toddled away to go play.

Walking over, Thomas placed his hands on your lower back, and he brushed his nose against yours.

“You’ve been wearing my clothes…” he whispered.

“No I have not…”

“I saw the shirt, yes you have.”

You grinned a little bit up at him.

“Yes I have… but I’m your husband and what’s yours is mine.”

Thomas hummed a little.

“That works both ways…”

He connected your lips together and you eagerly kissed him, more passion and desire in this one that the previous one.

You pulled away and Thomas leant forward kissing your again.

Every time you pulled away he would lean forward and kiss you again.

“Thomas Barrow…” you warned.

He smirked, burying his face into your neck and you ran your fingers through the hair at the bottom of his head.

“Mama!”

You shoved Thomas’ head aside and looked down at Delilah who looked at you with bright eyes.

“Mama!”

She made grabby hands at you and you leant down to pick her up, but Thomas refused to let you go, so instead he stood behind you, his hands on your waist, chin on your shoulder.

Delilah looked at him and he looked back.

Reaching up her hand, she gripped his hair and he tried to pry her hand away.

“Ouch! Okay! What have you been teaching her?!”

Laughing, you reached up and easily got his hair free and he rubbed his scalp.

“She’s in that stage where if she has it you are never getting it back.”

“Right, I’ll remember that.”

Delilah grabbed his nose instead and he stood there just looking at her.

“You can have fun with this.”

Handing the little girl over, you watched in amused as he tried to fight of her intense want to grab anything she could get.

Thomas spent some much needed time with Delilah who was overjoyed to have someone else to play with until she went to bed.

And he came back through to the bedroom and laid on the bed next to you, letting you rest your head on his chest.

“Do you wonder what she will call us when she’s older?”

“Well, I thought maybe call you papa, and maybe she can call me mama in public, and call me papa at home.”

“Do you think that would be safe?” He asked.

“Not while she’s so young, when she’s older and she can understand everything. We’ll have to tell her at some point about us Thomas.”

He sighed, placing a hand on your head, kissing the back of your neck.

“I know we will…”

“We’ll wait until she’s old enough to fully understand everything.”

“As in an adult?” He asked.

“Teenager to adult yes. Do you think it will be okay.”

“She loves us, I believe it will be. And if not, I have my husband by my side.”

You smiled, looking up at him and Thomas leant down to kiss you again.

He didn’t want to worry about the future yet, there was still years to come until that came around, he wanted to focus on the here and now with you and Delilah

[msbigredmachine]

New To This - Chapter 4

MASTERLIST

-------------

The alarm on her phone had never sounded so loud before. Ever. It was a battle for Delilah to untangle herself from the sheets, grope around the bed for the pesky phone and disable the offensive sound. Cracking one eye open, then cringing at how bright the phone screen was, she glanced at the time and groaned. Five-thirty already? Jesus.

Throwing the sheets off of herself, Delilah struggled to blink her eyes against the darkness as she ran down her mental morning checklist, which mainly consisted of excuses to remain in the comfort of her bed. She’d been doing so ever since she began her training as a wrestler, but no matter how she tried, nothing seemed to be ever good enough, especially when she had two jobs awaiting her each day. And speaking of…the feel of the air conditioning against her skin reminded her that the light bill had to be paid in some form or the other, and soon.

Rolling out of bed, she winced as her feet touched the floor. The smoke had cleared and every muscle in her body now ached from her match the night before. Every ache would be worth it though, if she could experience the same exhilarating feeling she did in the aftermath – the applause, the plaudits, the attention. She only wished her husband-to-be didn’t have to fuck it all up last night by bringing her crashing back down to earth.

In all honesty, inviting Tank and Jey to her home after her match  had been a deliberate act on her part. Part of her had wanted Andre to be happy for her, and to realize that other people supported her. But deep down, another part just wanted revenge for all of the late-night boys’ nights he and his friends had shared while she herself was trying to get some rest. She really wanted to feel guilty for being selfish and retaliating, but after the way he’d disrespected her last night, feeling bad was a hard sell for her right now.

She tensed up when she heard the bathroom door open. His footsteps were soft and cautious, and as he appeared in front of her looking haggard in ragged jeans and a flannel shirt, he was rubbing his hand over his face. “Mornin’,” he mumbled, raising his tired eyes to hers and cringing at her angry expression. “Look…about last night,” he started.

“Ugh, here we go,” she rolled her eyes, wincing a little as she hauled her aching body off the bed and stood upright.

Andre followed her every move, his shoulders sagged dejectedly. “Babe, I’m tryna apologize here.”

“Oh really! Apologize for what exactly?” she demanded, “Not being there for me, or humiliating me in front of the two people who cared enough to come see my match, one of whom, by the way, is a big name in the company I could only dream of being a part of one day. Which is it, huh?”

“Dee, come on…”

Shaking her head, she turned and limped out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, grabbing ingredients to set about making a sandwich for herself. None for Andre, hell no. She was more than mad at him right now. Plus, he was capable of fixing his own breakfast.

She heard footsteps a few minutes later, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Andre approaching the kitchen cautiously. He stood next to her, his sheepish expression a stark contrast to her irritated one. “Baby, I’m sorry. I was a dick,” he began, not taking his eyes off of her. “I was tired and cranky and wasn’t thinking rationally. Please forgive me.”

Delilah felt her stomach plummet when she noticed his bottom lip quivering. He knew what that did to her. He pinned her with those heartbreaking brown eyes of his, which shone with emotion, and she felt her heart thaw just a little bit. Sighing, she grabbed a couple of bread slices to make another sandwich. Shaking her head, she said, “I knew you’d be in bed, tired from work. I shouldn’t have brought them here so late.”

Squinting against the harsh fluorescent light overhead, Andre’s brows furrowed. “So that was the Jey Uso guy, huh?” Delilah nodded, handing him his sandwich as he cringed. “He’s a big dude.”

The wrestler-in-training took a bite of her sandwich, considering the goofy expression on his face and marveling at how attractive he was right at this moment. “He is. And probably pissed off too,” she added. “But don’t worry, I’ll see if I can work something out with him and Tank,” she winked.

“Yeah, I’d appreciate it,” Andre chuckled. From there, a comfortable silence reigned as the couple settled down to have breakfast, each of them stealing secretive glances when the other wasn’t looking. Again, all seemed to be well. The calm manner in which they settled conflicts was something they’d both come to recognize as a key component of their relationship. Sometimes though, Delilah wished she knew how to remain angry with him. Maybe that way, he’d take her more seriously and stop shoving things under the rug like he tended to do a lot.

“So, two hundred dollars, huh? That’s a lot of money you made last night,” Andre commented, wiping stray mayonnaise from his mouth with the corner of his sleeve. “Any idea on how you’re gonna spend it?”

She did have an idea, but she was a bit surprised that he was asking. “Well, I split it in two; one part should be enough for the light bill,” she explained, “I confirmed that the deposit for the hall we’re renting for the wedding is covered, so we good on that front. I’m goin’ grocery shopping after my shift. It’ll be fresh foods for us this time, no canned stuff,” she added with a grin. “And if you’re lucky enough, Mr. Gibson, you might just get a nice, juicy steak for dinner.“

Licking his lips, Andre rubbed his hands together. "Hmm, that sounds like a plan, my love,” he said, checking his watch, then grabbing his car keys from the counter and moving towards his wife-to-be. Delilah was taken by surprise as he scooped her lips with his, seemingly determined to savor her delicious taste before he ventured off for the day. 

“I love you, babe,” he murmured against her lips, his calloused hands leaving her slender waist to squeeze her backside. “It’s Dee & Dre forever, you know that right?”

Delilah squealed lightly, pushing him away and handing him his backpack. “I love you too. Dee & Dre forever,” she repeated, grinning when he kissed her one more time. She watched as he headed towards the front door. Then, he stopped and turned, a small smile on his gorgeous face.

“I’m glad you did well last night. This wrestling thing might not be so bad, ya know,” he said, the sincerity in his eyes making Delilah swoon inside.

“Thanks,” she accepted the compliment with a blush, staring at the door as it shut behind him. Clearly Andre was having a change of heart. Maybe he would come around after all.

By the time she finished cleaning up the kitchen, Delilah’s body was crying out for her bed. She had only a few more hours to get some sleep before she had to be at the grocery store for her first job of the day. As her head hit her bed once again, she dreamed of replacing her rather meager paycheck for the much larger one she was guaranteed to receive as a WWE Superstar.

Seven a.m. rolled around faster than five did, and this time, it was the ringing of her phone that woke her up. Groggy and annoyed, she answered. “Hello?”

“Mornin’ baby girl. Did I wake you?”

Squinting, Delilah stared at the unidentified number on her phone, wracking her still sleepy brain for the owner of the deep, unfamiliar baritone voice. Putting her phone back to her ear, she demanded, “Who is this?”

“Damn girl, did you lose my number already?” the deep, yet soft voice responded teasingly. 

Heaving a sigh of relief as her brain finally sparked to life, Delilah slumped back against the pillows. "Jesus, Josh. You kinda scared me. What’s with the sexy creepy mystery voice this early in the morning?”

"Hmm, you think I’m sexy, huh?”

The mischievous tone of his voice reemerged, and Delilah shook her head and sighed. “Homie, I said sexy and creepy,” she reminded him. “That ain’t no compliment. That’s like being compared to a stalker. Or a serial killer.”

This time, Josh laughed out loud. “What the fuck kinda analogy is that? I ain’t never had no female compare me to a stalker before, or a serial killer for that matter,” he said.

“Yeah, well, you sound like that, so think about that next time you go around making wake up calls with no warning,” she retorted. 

“Everything okay?” Josh questioned, his previous playful tone morphing into concern. “You sound a lil' agitated.”

There were a lot of reasons to be agitated. Like for one, why he was calling her so early in the morning. If Andre would take kindly to another man hitting her up like this. After a brief moment of silence, along with her sleepy brain finally catching up with events, she replied, “I’m fine. So, is there a reason you’re calling or was it just to scare me shitless?“

"There’s a reason, sweetheart, take it easy,” Josh responded.

“Spit it out then.”

“Dee, relax, damn,” he reprimanded her softly. “You ever watched a WWE pay-per-view live before?”

She walked around the bedroom, getting her things ready for the day. “What, like on cable? Many times, yeah. Why?”

Josh chuckled. “A’ight, let me rephrase that. I meant have you ever been to a live event before? Like in an arena or a stadium?”

“No. Never. I had a few chances as an adult but I was always busy.” In reality, she couldn’t afford to go. Her limited income was always eager to remind her how expensive tickets were. She couldn’t even afford to give away ten dollars a month for the WWE Network. She always recalled the year 2018 with a hint of sadness. WrestleMania 34 had been only a three-hour drive from Pensacola, but the tickets were much too steep to even think of making that drive. The show ended up being one of the more memorable Manias, and it was one of the numerous times she regretted her and Andre’s financial difficulties.  

“Raw is in Panama City in two weeks,” the Samoan informed her. “I was wondering if you would be interested in attending. You and your fiancé of course,” he added quickly, as though to prevent her from getting the wrong idea. “Both o’ y’all will be there as my guests.”

Delilah stopped in her tracks, trying to digest this tantalizing offer. “Wait, really? You’re inviting us personally?”

“Why not? I thought it’d be something you’d wanna see.”

“I totally do. That’s so kind of you. I gotta talk to Dre first, but I’d love to be there. Definitely.”

“Great, I’ll make the arrangements for the tickets,” Josh responded, and she noticed the relief in his voice. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your beauty sleep,” he went back to teasing her, “I look forward to seeing you in two weeks, Delilah.”

Fuck. The way he said her name though. She thought back to the way the L’s rolled off his tongue whenever he pronounced them, in such a seductively lethal manner, coupled with the sensual twinkle in his eye…

Suddenly she felt a little heated and flushed, despite the air-conditioning. Willing away the fluttering in her chest, she gripped her phone a little tighter. “Can’t wait. Take care,” she whispered, mumbling a goodbye and hanging up. She breathed deeply and tilted her head up, lost in thought. That was done. Now all she had to do was convince Andre that they could afford to spend a few days in Panama City. But more importantly, convince herself that she was only looking forward to the live event in two weeks and nothing else.

————-

Thoughts?

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[gifsbysimplysonia]

Sigh.

The way I thought moving from the Evans fandom to Hayden Christensen's meant no more drama. Cuz Hayden is CANADIAN AND LIVES ON A FARM, does somewhat regular con appearances, and that's really it. How could there possibly be drama?

Well??? Baybeeeeeeeeee, woo! Delulu Delilahs reside in the HC fandom too! And the cons are where Delilahs are on their worst behavior I guess, cuz wow.

Lies, embellishments, real time photos and videos all while trying to admire Hayden's chosen ball cap and black shirt choice du jour (my dude almost has a con uniform at this point, bless his heart). ANNNNND whether or not he is growing out his hair under that damn ball cap, and IF HE IS IS DOES THAT MEAN MORE ANAKIN?!?

Not to mention, fans who are BNFs - or maybe more accurate would be stating fans who are infamous for one reason or another, showing off their photo Ops alongside claims of being friends with HC. And did I mention also sharing screenshots of texts with Hayden after they shared the photo op?

I might laugh if it wasn't all so familiar; some of it - painfully so. Still, the Trash Panda in me is SAT, taking it all in and just marveling at how some things are just universal, no matter the fandom.

The way I WISH I had a fandom gossip page so I could recap everything that has been happening, tho, cuz I'm that much of a Forky lol it's been juicy to watch unfold!

Although I'll give credit where it's due: I've yet to see anyone campaigning for donations of any kind

...yet?

ETA: WELL! There was an alleged money scam in 2020 when a fan who is rather well known now (don't know if they were back then) was soliciting donations to treat their son even though they had just gotten married?

I wanna beat my head against a wall, y'all have NO idea.

What a weekend.

[this-lovely-universe]

Lore drop

Finley

Ooc: This is kinda a continuation from this post. You don't need to read the other but it provides contexts on how they got here

"Got any quarters?" Finley asked Cooper.

They had found on telephone booth thingy and they both knew their parents were probably freaking out.

"How many you need?"

"A quarter gets you... um..." The font was tiny, and Finley already struggled enough with reading.

"Let me see." Cooper pushed her to the side and squinted really hard. "Who puts this important of a detail in that font! It's unreadable! That's like putting the declaration of independence in ancient hieroglyphics!"

Finley chuckled slightly.

"You'd assume like two minutes right?" Cooper thought out loud. "I have-" He dug around in his pocket for a moment. "-three quarters and about two pennies."

"77 cents?"

"Yep. I think I could buy us a tin can of beans with it. You got anything?"

"Hmmm, a total of about... thirty two cents."

"Rats. One cent off a dollar."

Finley sat down on the ground with a sigh. "I think we're too broke for this lifestyle."

"Well, I can't speak for you but my options are pretty slim." Cooper sat down next to her.

Finley groaned, burying her face in her hands. She wanted one thing, just one thing to go right today. "Why did we get such rotten luck?"

"Wish I knew, Ley..."

Finley felt tears form in her eyes as her brother's words played in her head.

Monster.

Physcopath.

Murderer.

She felt like all those things right now. "It's all my fault..."

"Wha? Dude, you're not psychic. Besides the font is a minor inconvenience."

She shook her head. "It's not about the font."

Cooper stared at her sympthically. "I kinda burnt my house down today, if it makes you feel better."

"That's why the police want you?"

"Bingo."

Finley sighed. "I killed my father."

Cooper nearly choked on his own spit. "What?"

"I didn't mean too. I don't know even know what happened.. "

"Damn. Why are our lives so complicated? This isn't fair..."

Finley shrugged defeatedly. "This just... sucks." She sighed.

"Yeah. I got no house, you got no dad. Not fair..."

"What even is the plan? we have 99 cents to our name, no parents, nothing but the clothes we wearing. What are we supposed to do? Run around till someone finds us and calls someone?"

Cooper shrugged. "I know I can't go back."

Finley sighed. She was in similar boat. Her brother would lose his min if she just rocked up.

"Maybe we call your mum. Tell her where we are, see if she can help."

"She'll want to come with us." Cooper also sighed. "I know we were going to tell them that we were alright and all, but they'll want to come and find us."

And that would make things even harder.

"Give me a quarter. I have someone we can call."

@that-asian-child-of-aphrodite @arisdaughter @childofthewargod @damiedantediane @glee-of-ares-wrath-of-aphrodite

@apollos-weirdest-child @delilah-isnt-dead-yett @athenas-weirdo-daughter @daonedaonlyskh @lovely-liilies-and-lillacs

@aria-pane @poseidons-hyperactive-kid @wine-cooper @i-am-persephones-daughter @unhinged-as-hell

ooc: Yes, I did forget about this and found it half written in my drafts

I have zero clue how the tag list works now that it's all one account but you know the drill

If you want to be added or removed from the tag list, or if I've forgotten to tag you, let me know :)

[potato-jem]

CONGRATULATIONS ON 201 FOLLOWERS!!

aaand for the celebration:

🐻(malec) and 💌

THANK YOU DELILAH!!! (sorry this took so long!)

i shall run over to your inbox in a moment, but please have domestic, older malec. i hope you like it! (also available on ao3)

i wished time moved slower

The left side of their bed was cold. 

The sheets were pushed back, exposing a sliver of Magnus’ back to December creeping through the ajar door of their bedroom. Magnus reached out and patted around in his half-conscious daze, as if Alec would magically materialise out of thin air. 

His magical abilities only could do so much.

With heavy eyelids and a deep sigh, Magnus winces as the cold of New York winter cuts through his warm body like a knife. Reaching down and picking up his crumpled robe on the floor, he gets himself out of bed, pulling the robe to his body close enough to become a second skin. He cringes at the dull ache only winter could give to him, while he gingerly walks out of the shared bedroom. 

The tiles send shocks up his legs and through his spine. He knows Alec is awake. The disregarded cups of tea on the kitchen bench have been washed and dried. The pillows on the sofa are straighter, with the blanket Magnus used last night folded and placed on top of the head cushions with care. Only Alec would take so much care of their home, only to leave the balcony door ajar. His socks are barely providing any protection to his already cold feet, as he walks towards the door and peeks his head out. 

And there he was. Comfortably sitting at their table for two arrangement for summer drinks and cheeseboards, Alec had his back to Magnus, his salt and peppery hair illuminated by snowflakes. A cup, of what Magnus assumed was tea, sat beside Alec, the steam escaping into the cold wind. The sun was trying its best to shine through the clouds, but could only do so much. 

“What are you doing out here?” Magnus whispered. 

Alec slowly turned his head to the sound of Magnus’ voice, the lines by his eyes and mouth crinkling into their usual places as they have done all these years. He gingerly angles his body towards Magnus, as if his body was gravitated to Magnus like an old magnet; not as strong as it used to be brand new, but it still had its other half. 

“Is it so criminal to watch the sunrise in the morning?” Alec responds with a slight gravel that only comes with age. (Magnus was absolutely thrilled he got to see it develop in real time.)

Magnus slides into the chair across from Alec, wincing as he sat down on what felt like ice, “Yes, especially when it is this cold out and you leave the door open.”

Alec’s eyes shifted to the door leading out to the balcony, “Did I leave the door open?” 

He shrugged and chuckled to himself, “I probably did. I’m sorry, love.”

Magnus pretended it didn’t hurt to smile. He knew he didn’t have much time left with Alec. He tried to enjoy it, and sometimes he did enjoy staying in bed a little bit longer, going to see their kids and grandkids for lunch but being back home before dinner. Fuck, he’s even taken up knitting, puzzling, listening to the same “Do you remember?” stories told two hours beforehand. Who was he? Surely, this wasn’t the same partying-every-weekend, Shadowhunter-tolerating High Warlock of Brooklyn from sixty years before, right? 

He knew this was going to hurt. He sometimes stayed up at night, squeezing Alec a bit tighter to his chest and muffling premature sobs. For the first time ever, Magnus wanted to grow old, grow old with who he was convinced was the love of his lifetimes. 

But until then, Magnus reached his hand across the icy table into the warm, calloused hands of his lover and enjoyed the serenity of the morning, watching the sunrise amongst the clouds like his Alec did many years before.